The Secrets That She Keeps
by hughie87
Summary: The night before Clark leaves to fulfill his Kryptonian training is a night he and Chloe will never forget. When Clark returns, years later than expected, time and the lives of those he loves has moved on without him. As Clark struggles to find his place in the world again, Chloe struggles to reconcile the life she's now built with Clark's surprise return.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Clark?"

"What is it, Chloe?" Clark asked stonily as he stuffed rolled up pairs of socks into his duffel bag for the trip up north. He didn't need the bag, since he was only going to the Fortress of Solitude but the packing made the lie he and Chloe concocted seem legitimate.

"Clark," Chloe repeated insistently, this time laying a small hand on top of his large one to still the packing process. Reluctantly Clark met Chloe's eyes. She was not in favor of his recent decision. She saw it as rash and ludicrous. For three days after Clark told her, she ignored him, refusing to answer his calls or his texts. He finally cornered her in the her apartment above the Talon. She still wasn't convinced, but with his usual relentlessness Clark began to wear Chloe down. In this moment, Clark could tell in her eyes she was about to launch into one of her speeches.

Impatience welled up inside of him. He already made his choice and nothing Chloe had said or would say could sway him. Why couldn't she see that, accept it and move on? "Okay, you've got my attention, Chloe. What?" He snapped gruffly.

Chloe's hand stiffened along with the rest of her. Her green eyes, soft and caring before, hardened as she pressed her mouth into a thin line. She withdrew her hand, forming it into a tight fist and dropping it back to her lap with the other one.

"You know what? Nevermind," she threw at him icily as she stood to her feet. "I'm going to bed. See ya in two years, Clark." Chloe stalked from the room. Seconds later, Clark heard the door to her bedroom slam hard enough to shake the walls of the second floor.

Clark groaned and scrubbed his hands over his stubble lined jaw. If he wasn't such a selfish bastard he would have seen why she was upset long before now. He would see Chloe needed him to stay.

But he was broken-hearted, too. How could he be any good to her while his own heart was in tatters? After Lana absorbed all the Kryptonite from the bomb atop the Daily Planet roof which would have taken out half the population of Metropolis, Clark was not able to get within ten feet of Lana without suffering the effects of exposure. He could still feel the agonizing fire of pain curdling his veins when he thought of the last time he saw Lana. So naturally, Clark was running from his old life, his pain, his heart ache, to embrace a new life. A new life to help him push away all the turmoil of his mind. The life he'd been trying to avoid most of his young adult years.

Once Clark wrangled Chloe into his plan, she'd agreed to serve as intermediary with him and the world while he was away. She'd moved out to the farm to house/Shelby-sit, and came up with his convincing cover story. For the next two years, Clark would be away on a research project for the Isis Foundation. In reality, he would be sequestered away in a vortex of knowledge in the frigid air of the arctic with his artificial biological father, training for his return to the world as its hero.

Clark finished packing. He took the duffel and put it by his backdoor. As he did, he glanced up the kitchen stairs to the second floor. He couldn't leave with the rift between him and Chloe. Not when he wouldn't see her or talk to her for two years. Clark climbed the stairs, his big feet clomping on the finished wood and then down the hallway to stop in front of his mother's old room where Chloe took up residence when she moved in. Listening intently from the outside Clark could hear her sniffling, trying to stem her tears but failing. He rapped his knuckles gently against the door.

"Go away, Clark," Chloe murmured, knowing he could hear her.

Clark opened the door a crack and peeked in. Chloe was still fully dressed, buried face down in a pile of pillows while her body trembled with silent sobs.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Chloe scrambled to face him, tear trails down her cheeks and hate filling her eyes.

"Go away!" Chloe screamed, her voice so shrill Clark winced. "I don't want to see you! If you're in such a damn hurry to be away from me then go! Go now!"

In seconds, Chloe pushed herself off the bed and flew across the room. With two tiny fists she began beating Clark violently on his chest, yelling obscenities at him. Clark didn't flinch. He just stood there and let Chloe tire herself out until she lay against him, sobbing into his red jacket.

"Don't leave me, Clark," Chloe whispered brokenly. "Please, don't leave me. I need you so much."

"Shh. . . It's okay. It's okay," Clark crooned softly as he wrapped Chloe in his arms and cradled her delicately against his body.

"No," Chloe said vehemently, shaking her head, her soft blonde hair waving as she pulled away from Clark to look up into his face. "You don't understand. I can't live without you anymore. I've already lost my husband. Please don't make me give up my best friend as well."

"You're not losing me, Chloe. I'm only going to be gone for two years," Clark told her, hoping to make the separation as easy as he could.

"And who knows what those two years will bring? I could die. You could die. It is possible," Chloe reminded him, fresh tears sparkling in her eyes. "Where would I be then, huh?"

"Chloe," Clark murmured, cupping one of her cheeks in his hand. "I wish I could stay. For you. But I have to leave Smallville. I can't stay here right now. There are too many memories and it's too hard. I'm tired of being confronted by every mistake I ever made in this town. Please, understand," Clark pleaded as he swiped a thumb over her satiny skin to catch a fat tear sailing down to Chloe's quivering chin.

"I do. I do understand, Clark," Chloe reassured him. "I wanted to leave Metropolis because it was too crowded and lonely without Jimmy."

After only seven months of marriage, Chloe was a widow. Jimmy never recovered from the coma he slipped into as a result from the injuries he sustained the day of his and Chloe's 'doomed' wedding. Three months ago, right before she moved out to the farm, she'd signed over her Power of Attorney to his family, releasing Jimmy into their care. A week later they decided to turn off the machines keeping him alive. Ever since Jimmy's funeral, Chloe felt lost and unattached to the world around her. Only Clark and Shelby could remind her she still inhabited the world of the living. And now, Clark was leaving her. Like all the other men in her life she loved before.

"Being with you has helped fill the void Jimmy left," Chloe continued softly. "I wish I could be the same for you."

"I wish so, too. I really do, Chloe," Clark responded. He pulled her close once more and held her tightly, memorizing the way she felt and smelled. Memories for his time in solitude.

"I have to go," Clark finally muttered thickly. He was beginning to feel his resolve cracking. He knew the longer he stood there in this room with Chloe, the harder it would be to leave it all behind. With a sweet kiss to Chloe's forehead, Clark let her go and turned to leave the room.

"Clark, wait," Chloe whispered, a hesitant hand reaching out and grasping the sleeve of his jacket. Clark halted, not turning back to face her. He knew the anguish ravaging his own soul would be mirrored in her eyes and he couldn't bring himself to face what he was doing to her, to himself. To them. Clark realized, for the first time since he began planning his escape, he wouldn't be seeing Chloe for two years. He wouldn't hear her voice, see her face, feel her touch. But Clark told himself it was too late to back out now. He needed to be alone. It was the only way he would ever really find himself.

"I don't know if I'll ever see you again," Chloe reiterated words spoken long ago to her best friend's expansive back.

"You will, Chloe," Clark told the door adamantly, balling his fists at his side to keep from slamming them into the wall. Why is she making this so difficult? Clark was beginning to see reasons to stay and didn't want them! "I promise you will."

"Clark, please," Chloe sighed in exasperation. "I've been trying to get up the courage all night to ask you this."

Clark swung around to face her, against his better judgment. She stood before him, her insecure stance with head bowed and arms fidgeting at her sides foreign to him. He couldn't help the stab of attraction that shot through him as she lifted her eyes to his, strands of hair shading her face.

Upon meeting his eyes, Chloe blushed and lowered them to the collar of his blue t-shirt. She could feel her heart beating in her chest and her stomach began tying itself into knots. She formed the words in her mind.

"You can ask me anything, Chloe," Clark said patiently as he watched her obvious struggle.

Taking a big breath, Chloe's voice floated quietly into the shared silence. "Spend the night with me?"

* * *

Chloe watched Clark's eyes widen and then narrow, searching her face. She knew he was wondering if he heard her correctly. He had.

"Chloe, I don't know what you mean," Clark stammered as he looked at her closely with his heart in his throat.

"Yes, you do, Clark," Chloe replied, refusing to let him play the shy boy with her. "I want to sleep with you tonight. I want to touch you, connect with you. I want to show you how much you mean to me."

"Chloe, we can't," Clark said firmly.

"Why?" Chloe asked him. "Why can't we?" Now that her thought was out, it shocked her how much she wanted this. She'd always had fantasies about Clark. Who wouldn't? But this was different. Jimmy was dead. Chloe had never been able to tell her husband how much she loved him. She wasn't going to let Clark leave without knowing just how much she loved him as well. Over the years, her feelings had grown considerably for Clark. At times she felt so guilty for being in love with two men at the same time, but knew her heart wouldn't change no matter what she did. So she loved Jimmy and planned a life with him all the while loving Clark, too.

Clark continued to stand in front of Chloe as she waited for his answer. He was waiting for his answer, too. Chloe had been his best friend for almost a decade and for the past four years, she had become something more to him. He loved her. Not in the all consuming, passionate love he possessed for Lana, but he loved her all the same. And why couldn't they have this one thing? Why couldn't he give her this one last comfort before he left her? But what if he hurt her? And not just physically? What if he also hurt her emotionally? He couldn't take the chance of giving her hope that he would stay with her. Because he was leaving, Clark reminded himself sternly.

"The lines of our friendship," Clark began hesitantly, trying to communicate his exact thoughts to her. "They've always been so blurred. This would only blur them more."

"Clark," Chloe said seriously. "If I thought for one moment, this was something you or I couldn't handle, I wouldn't even suggest it. Haven't you always wanted to have a 'friend with benefits'?" She teased.

"I could hurt you so easily," Clark countered in a whisper.

Chloe caught his double entendre, but chose to address the physical insecurities edge. Stepping closer to him, so close there was only a wisp between their bodies, Chloe framed his handsome face with her small hands.

"I trust you, Clark," she told him solemnly, hoping he would know she also meant with her heart just like her body. "You could never, would never hurt me. If that is the only thing keeping you from-"

"That's a big part of it," Clark interrupted. "But, Chloe, I don't want to use you like that. You deserve so much better than a one night stand."

"Hey, I propositioned you, remember? I'm a big girl, Clark. But it's your decision. If you don't want to. . ." Chloe's voice trailed off as her hands slipped from his face.

"Oh, I want to." Clark felt stunned at the sincerity of his words. His mind was showing him images of the cold, lonely nights to come meshed with flashes of shapely limbs tangled with his own. The temptation of what Chloe was offering shimmered before him and he fought hard against it, knowing there would be consequences. How could there not be?

As if Chloe was reading his mind, she said, "Clark, I can deal with whatever the consequences are. But I can't imagine not seeing you or holding your hand or even brushing back the hair from your face for two years."

Clark swallowed convulsively at the obvious pain in her husky voice. Staring down at Chloe, he knew he would give her this. Had to. Wanted to. Why couldn't they forget the pain of the past year for a couple of hours? Why couldn't he find solace in his best friend's arms? Why couldn't, just for tonight, Clark and Chloe be together?

Chloe continued to wait for Clark's next move. She knew he and Lana had slept together after Lana had become a part of the super-powered population and there was a good chance Clark would not want to tarnish those memories. However, that did not stop her from wanting to chase away the pain and the demons that haunted her on a nightly basis. If he said no, which knowing Clark was a big possibility, Chloe would understand. Clark did not know what it was like loving two women at once and wanting them both to know how much he cared for them. If he was lucky he never would know that pain, he would never know the guilt. He would forever love Lana Lang, even if she was half a world away.

Clark opened his mouth and Chloe steeled herself for his rejection. Hoping to hide the jagged pain with a shaky smile, she took a step away only to be harshly yanked back flush against Clark's massive bulk. Chloe, with uncharacteristic shyness, lifted her eyes to analyze Clark's expression. Her breath caught when she met his eyes where just moments before shadows of doubt and apprehension swam. A smoldering heat now burned them away, replacing them with a lust and want so strong Chloe trembled. This was a new Clark. She felt the raw power of him thrumming just beneath his skin and it scared her a little.

Pulling her so close, Chloe could feel every long line of Clark's body and could only watch in awe as his mouth crashed down upon hers. Chloe fisted her hands in the material of his shirt as she melted into him, feeling her body temperature spike. Clark's fingers were digging painfully into her waist and she fought hard not to whimper. He would never hurt me, Chloe thought with panic as Clark continued to deepen his kiss and strengthen his grip on her. Part of her was terrified about how easy he could snap her in two while the other part of her reveled in his male response to her. This was not some chaste kiss between friends nor was it to humor her. Clark was kissing her with passion and fire and Chloe couldn't help but think all the pain in the world was worth this moment.

Her mouth felt so familiar to him, like kissing someone he'd kissed many times before. Clark towered over Chloe's small height, bending her backwards as he violently kissed her, pouring out all of his frustration and pain and anger into her. She was the only one who could take it, the only one strong enough to handle all of him. Taking complete control of her, something he never did even with Lana, Clark grasped Chloe behind the knees and swung her up into his arms and found his way to his room across the hall. Once inside, he dropped Chloe onto his bed and climbed down beside her, running his hands along the curves and swells of her tiny body. He began kissing her once again, forcing her mouth open and surging inside. Chloe surrendered immediately under him, causing Clark a warm feeling to expand through his chest.

All Chloe wanted to do was explore Clark's golden skin with her tongue, especially his abdominal area, but she clearly was not going to be making any decisions this time. Clark's big body was sprawled on top of hers, his jean clad thighs framing her calves as his hands skimmed her flat belly under the silky fabric of her blouse. He left her mouth momentarily as he nibbled her jaw and down her neck to her exposed collarbone. Chloe's hands clung to Clark's shoulders, afraid if she let him go this would fade away as if it had been a dream.

Clark returned to Chloe's mouth, his hands moving further up her blouse. He ran his thick fingers along her skin, counting her ribs. She had become too slender, his mind told him with concern. He moved back down the sides of her stomach, loving the ultra feminine shape of her hourglass waist and flared hips. One of Chloe's legs broke free, her heel kicked off and her bare foot nuzzled against his calf. She tangled her fingers in the jet-black hair on his scalp as she lifted him away from her mouth and ran her tongue along his own jaw line. Finding the pulse point just under his jaw, Clark's hands suffered a spasm as Chloe kissed him there, clutching her with a little too much force. Clark heard her strangled yelp of pain even as Chloe ground her teeth shut to quiet the noise.

Like a lightening bolt had struck him, Clark found himself on the opposite side of the room from the pretty blonde lain out on his bed. His heart beat frantically and the only thing that stopped him from returning to her was the yelp ringing in his ears.

Chloe sat up slowly, feeling bereft and cold. She found Clark looming in a dark corner as far away from her as he could get. Despite his sheer size, he reminded her of a skittish deer. Chloe scooted to the end of the bed and hung her head down between her knees. It wasn't so much that it hurt as it startled her, the amount of power he possessed in his hands. For a second, just a second, she thought he was going to crush her bones but she didn't feel any fear. In some place in her mind, Chloe knew that was so messed up but it was a testament to how much of herself she was willing to sacrifice to Clark.

Clark wondered what Chloe was thinking. Was she regretting giving herself to him? When she lifted her eyes would he see disgust? Anger? Or worse, fear? He didn't need to wait long. Chloe raised her hazel eyes and looked at him with. . . Impatience?

"Clark," she rasped. "What are you doing over there?"

For a moment, Clark forgot he was twenty-two years old. He felt like he was fourteen again and he'd hugged Chloe good-bye one day and squeezed a little too hard and she playfully told him he was breaking her back. Clark shot away from her quickly and then was asked what the hell his problem was. She looked exactly the same as she had then, only her hair was rumpled sexily and her grown-up chest heaved like his.

"Chloe, I told you," said Clark, fighting hard not to whine. Chloe shed her other heel before she stood and walked over to him, stopping when she could lean her body against his.

"Clark," Chloe began patiently, although her eyes belied her tone of voice. "I need you to come back and finish what you started."

"You felt what I just did to you!" Clark exclaimed as he jabbed at the bed with a finger, unable to believe Chloe was pushing this when she just witnessed how detrimental this could be to her safety.

"And sometimes a little pain is a good thing," Chloe murmured seductively as she went up on her tip toes. Clark felt his skin go hot all over again at her euphemism.

"But I might not have a safe word," Clark choked out. His hands itched at his sides. He knew the male in him wanted Chloe for the simple reason she was a female. But the desire boiling along his nerve endings right now smacked of more. How long had he wanted her? How long had the tension between them he was feeling now been building?

"Do I need to slip you some Red K?" Chloe muttered jokingly, returning flat footed to the floor.

Clark could see her own need for him was beginning to wane. She was retreating back inside herself. It took a lot for her to ask him to make love to her. They were so close, but Clark knew there was still a part of her she kept from him, the part he could unwillingly shatter if she didn't. He'd gotten a glimpse of it tonight. The shy, vulnerable, soft woman in his arms was quickly spinning away from him, vanishing back inside his assertive, tough as nails best friend. Red Kryptonite. . .

A clever smile curled Clark's lips and Chloe stopped laughing. He didn't take her seriously about the Red K? If he was afraid he would hurt her as Clark, then Kal would rip her to shreds! But before she could voice her severe disapproval, Clark vanished.

* * *

The house was silent and Chloe wondered if Clark really just sped right out of here, leaving her in the most humiliating way. Was she that undesirable? Chloe turned back to Clark's bed and crawled in, curling up tightly and pulled the covers over her head. She buried her head in his pillows and prepared to cry herself to sleep when the blankets were lifted back. Out of the corner of her partially opened eye, Chloe saw Clark leaning over her. With a furrowed brow, she rolled her head back to look at him.

"Where did you go?"

Clark sat down on the edge of the bed and cupped her hip in one large hand. Chloe followed the line of his gaze to a thick black band wrapping his wrist with a cloudy blue rock set within the leather.

"Is that. . ." Chloe began as she pushed herself up on an elbow.

"Blue Kryptonite," Clark finished for her, swinging his face back to hers.

"But that removes your powers! Clark, you have to take it off!" Chloe cried as she dove for his wrist in a wild attempt to wrench the band from him before it did any permanent damage. Clark caught her easily against him and tumbled her back to the bed. Without his Kryptonian strength, it was astounding just how much fight Chloe had in her. Clark, momentarily stunned, let Chloe roll him over, sitting on his stomach where she proceeded to try and grapple with the watch-like clasp. Whipping his wrist away from her, Clark grasped her hips and tossed her to his side, quickly imprisoning her questing fingers in both of his hands, intertwining them with his so there was no room for escape.

"Chloe," Clark gasped, slightly out of breath. "It only removes my powers while I wear it. When I take it off, I'll be back to normal."

Chloe stilled. "But the ring that your mother gave you, your father's victory ring. When you slipped that on, you couldn't get it off. Can I have my hands back?"

"Do you promise to calm down?" Clark asked before he released them, albeit reluctantly. Chloe sat up, Clark doing the same, the two facing each other.

"This is Blue Kryptonite in its rawest form. It counteracts my powers when worn, just like the ring. When I remove it, which I can," Clark showed her by unfastening the clasp and holding it away from his wrist before putting it back on. "I return to normal. Or my normal."

"I thought the only piece was destroyed along with Bizarro." Chloe reached out and ran her fingers over the bumpy stone. "Where did you get this?"

"Dax Ur sent it to me. A couple of days after I visited him, I got this in the mail. He wore one just like this and made me one. In case I ever changed my mind about who I wanted to be," Clark explained softly, remembering the nice Kryptonian man from the desert.

"The one who was later-"

"Killed by Brainiac," Clark bit out.

"Clark, if you had this, why for the next couple of weeks did I have to hear Lana whine about the lack of physical intimacy between the two of you?" Chloe questioned accusingly. Clark could have fixed the situation for both of them, though Chloe knew in those weeks following Bizarro's demise the absence of sex wasn't the only problem the couple was dealing with.

"We were trying to find our way back and sex was the farthest thing from my mind. I only remembered I stashed it out in the barn when you mentioned Red K," Clark told her, a lump of pain forming in the back of his throat as he thought of Lana. Shaking his head to dislodge the memories, he turned back to Chloe and leered at her, a little unconvincingly. "So, where were we?"

Chloe did not miss the anguish that flickered across Clark's face, even for the merest of seconds. She couldn't help feeling guilty about how selfish she had been earlier. She should be making this easier on Clark, not harder by asking him to do something his heart wasn't in. She knew he was only putting on this facade for her. And if she was any smaller of a person, she'd continue to let him. Damn my moral compass, Chloe hissed internally.

"No, Clark," Chloe replied sadly.

Clark spoke before she could continue, reading her thoughts as they passed over her face. "I want to, Chloe. I want to do this with you."

"No you don't, Clark," said Chloe with a shake of her head. She rose to her feet and took a step toward the door, intending on returning to Martha's room. Clark's hand shot out and circled her wrist. Chloe stopped.

Clark stood to his own feet and walked in front of her, his hand never letting go of her wrist. With two fingers, Clark lifted Chloe's face until she stared up at him with moist eyes.

"If I'm leaving civilization for two years, its not Lana I want to remember. Its you," Clark let his words sink in and then swooped down, claiming her lips in an heart-breaking kiss.

Morning came quickly, though neither Clark or Chloe slept the entire night. Between bouts of saying good-bye, the two would lay in the tangled sheets and talk. Or be silent, both aware that something special was being formed between them, even in those quiet moments. When the eastern horizon began to lighten from black to a velvety gray, Clark turned to Chloe with an urgency that shook him deep inside. Not wanting to acknowledge the coming day, Clark put his back to the window and cradled Chloe against him, her slim back pressed along his front.

"Go to sleep," he whispered in the curve of her ear as he made lazy figure eights on the soft skin of her lower belly.

"I don't want to," she whispered back, afraid again, she'd wake up and find this night was all a dream.

"I'll wake you before I go," Clark lied, promising to punish himself when he got to the Fortress for it.

"Promise?"

"Promise," Clark choked out.

"Clark?"

"Yes?" Clark fought against tears gathering in his eyes

"I love you."

* * *

"I love you," Chloe whispered.

Clark bit his lip until he tasted the iron tang of blood on his tongue. Laying his forehead in the crook of her neck, Clark gathered Chloe closer, the pressure with which he held her sure to snap her in two had it not been for the Blue Kryptonite. Inhaling deeply, Clark caught the comforting scent of cinnamon and listened closely to her breathing. He knew the moment she drifted to sleep next to him. Her entire body went limp and her breathing deepened. Only then did Clark allow the dam to break, letting his tears drip down onto Chloe's soft skin.

She expected no answer to her declaration. Chloe told him simply because she wanted him to know how she felt. What other woman had ever loved him as selflessly as Chloe Sullivan had? All those years of standing beside him, holding his hand and prodding him down the road to the man he was destined to become. And how did he repay her? He left her. When Chloe needed him the most he turned from her, too caught up in his own pain and suffering to care about the woman who helped make him what he was today. All his mistakes began to take shape in front of his eyes. All the wrong decisions he'd ever made laid out before him like a road paved with good intentions. And where had they led him? Emotional hell.

Time passed. Chloe slept. Clark cried.

The dull yellow sunlight began painting the wall in front of him and Clark knew it was time to go. Inch by inch, he slid the black band from his wrist, working it against his thigh muscle to push it further down his hand. Finally it passed his knuckles and he grasped it in his hand. With a whoosh, Clark was was dressed in the dark blue jeans and the blue t-shirt he plucked from the floor. He stood, watching Chloe sleep peacefully, not aware of his absent warmth yet. Smoothing the tangled curls back from her face, Clark knelt and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. He laid the band on the nightstand next to her head as a reminder of what they shared. And a promise for when he returned.

"I have to go now, Chloe," Clark whispered, so quiet he knew he would be the only one to hear the words. "I wish I was the man you deserved."

He felt there was more he needed to say. But what?

"You're so special," Clark said lamely.

Running his fingers along her cheek, he spoke the words that had been banging against his lips since she'd asked him to spend the night with her.

"I love you, too." And he meant it.

Walking from the room at human speed, Clark felt as if he was moving in slow motion. He descended the stairs and picked up the bag, heading for the kitchen door. Putting his hand on the knob, he stopped and listened to the deafening rhythm of Chloe's thudding heart beat.

Call me back, Chloe. Call me back and I'll come.

But all that met his ears was the silence. Squaring his shoulders, Clark walked out into the warm light of morning. With a burst of speed, he arrived at the caves. He found his way absently to the chamber off the main cavern, trying desperately not to listen for the lilting cadence of Chloe's voice as she woke with his name on her lips.

The ancient table stood before him. He opened his book and withdrew his key. Inserting the alien metallic into its slot, a brilliant beam of light engulfed him and Clark was transported to a white wonderland of snow.

Clark gazed at his gleaming Fortress of Solitude standing in the distance. He began taking long strides toward it, postponing the moment he would step inside. For the next two years this would be his life. Cold, dead, vacant land. No one but him and the manifestation of his dead biological father's will.

"Clark. . ." she'd whispered. Clark closed his eyes and pictured golden hair and smooth, peach-colored skin. He felt desperate hands clutching his shoulders and elegant fingers caressing his face. He remembered the way she'd responded to his every touch and how she'd held nothing back, giving all of herself to him. Was it possible for him to be head-over-heels in love with Lana Lang when one day without Chloe Sullivan caused him to tremble in fear? But he loved Lana. With his mind, body and. . . Soul?

All too soon, as he pondered the jumbled mass of his thoughts, the entrance of his Fortress towered over him. Like a criminal resigned to his sentence, Clark shuffled inside, his big footprints in the snow being swept over by a strong arctic breeze.

"Jor-El!" Clark shouted. "I'm here. And I'm ready."

The crystals surrounding him began to glow and he knew his father's presence filled the structure.

"My son," the voice echoed. "Are you sure?"

Clark clenched his fists. I love you. "Yes."

"Then let us begin."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A door slammed in the distance and Chloe jerked her eyes open sleepily. The bedroom was bright. Middle of the day bright and she heard the heavy footfalls of a man downstairs.

"Clark?" Chloe called out groggily. There was no answering response. Chloe sat up and scooted herself into a sitting position, the sheets pooling at her waist. Clark's side was empty. She looked over at the old alarm clock. The black on white numbers read half past one in the afternoon. There was a rattling in the kitchen and Chloe tried again.

"Clark!" She yelled, a little annoyed. Why wasn't he answering her? Chloe heard steps on the stairs and finally a tall shadow began moving down the length of the hall toward the bedroom. Chloe tucked her shaggy bed hair behind both ears and launched into her tirade as the figure rounded the corner, "Well, I hope you made me some coffee after you kept me up all night because-"

Oliver Queen stood in Clark's place, his eyes marble-size at seeing Chloe sitting quite contentedly in a heap of sheets in Clark's bed, not a stitch hiding her upper assets.

"Oliver!" Chloe screamed, pulling sheets up to cover herself and glared at him in a rage. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Oliver extracted two tiny buds from his ears and waved them at Chloe in explanation. "I didn't hear you. Sorry." He smirked unapologetically.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, craning her neck to see if Clark possibly stood behind Oliver. Chloe busied herself straightening the sheets out around her, refusing to meet Oliver's merry eyes in embarrassment.

"I came by to talk to Clark. Is he here somewhere? Under there, maybe?" Oliver suggested with a wry grin as he motioned to the rumpled sheets beside Chloe.

"Was his truck out front?" Chloe questioned. The thought of her compromising state being chased from her mind as a cold loneliness began to spread through her limbs.

"Yeah, that's why I thought he was home." Oliver noticed Chloe's color fading and took another step into the room. "Chloe, are you okay?"

"Did you check the barn?"

"Yes. Chloe, what is going on?" Oliver stepped further into the room, his shock at finding Chloe in Clark's bed unclothed pushed aside by the concern for Chloe's apparent panic.

Chloe wrapped the sheet around her, noting it wasn't nearly as graceful as it was in the movies and shot to her feet. She sprinted past Oliver and down the stairs.

"Chloe!" Oliver called as he followed her, seeing the tail end of the blue sheet she'd wrapped around her body fly out the kitchen door seconds before him.

Chloe ran to the barn, ignoring Oliver's frustrated calls. She stabbed the tender skin of her foot on a sharp rock. Whimpering slightly she continued on, heedless of the throbbing in the arch of her foot. She took the stairs to the loft two at a time until she was kneeling before the keepsake trunk Clark stored up in front of the ratty sofa. Throwing it open, she dug through the contents haphazardly. The book was gone. Clark was gone.

Chloe sat back on her heels just as Oliver crested the stairs.

"What the hell, Chloe?" Oliver demanded. He watched Chloe fall back on her bottom and crumple against the sofa. She was staring at the open trunk, its normally ordered inside looking as if a hurricane blew through.

"He's gone," Chloe murmured, her throat working convulsively.

"Who's gone?" Oliver asked gently. He knelt down next to her and laid a hand on her bare shaking shoulder.

"He promised he'd wake me. Oh, god," Chloe groaned, turning eyes filled with so much agony. Oliver's hand instinctively gripped her tighter. "He's gone. He's really gone."

"Clark? Gone where? Why?" Oliver fired in quick procession.

Chloe laid her head down on her kneecaps, taking deep breaths to stop the hyperventilation of her lungs. She knew he was leaving. But part of her, the part that she'd allowed to be unveiled last night, hoped he would have stayed. There would be time for this later. Right now she needed to get to the caves.

"I have to go," she told Oliver serenely, using his arm as a lever to get to her feet.

"What? Where? Chloe." Oliver stood, too, bounding after Chloe's waddling form. "What is going on?"

Oliver caught back up with her out in the open air. He grabbed her upper arm and whirled her to face him. "I want some answers. Why were you in Clark's bed with no clothes on and where is the guy?"

"We can talk later, but right now I need to go somewhere," Chloe replied testily, shrugging her arm out of his grip.

"I'm coming with you," Oliver said. For some reason, he felt she didn't need to be alone.

"Fine, whatever. I need to go change." Chloe waved her hand at him as she disappeared back inside. Oliver leaned against the hood of Clark's truck. Is something wrong? Where is Clark? he wondered anxiously.

Dressed in baggy shorts and a hoodie, Chloe emerged again. She made a bee-line for the truck and hauled herself in the driver-side, Oliver jumping into the passenger side.

"Where are we going?" He asked as Chloe started the truck and backed out to make a U-turn.

"The caves," Chloe said simply.

"What caves?"

Chloe gave Oliver a brief history of the caves and their significance with Clark. The rest of the trip was spent in silence. Chloe went off-road and drove over many ruts and gullies, the truck bouncing as she drove along the rough terrain before pulling up in front of an unimpressive rock formation.

Wishing he'd worn sneakers instead of his expensive Gucci loafers, Oliver followed Chloe around the side and spied a narrow fissure between two of the rocks. It widened at the bottom and Oliver watched as Chloe prepared to lower herself into the opening.

"What are you doing?" Oliver questioned nervously.

"Relax, Oliver. I've done this many times," she assured him as she slithered into the dark interior. Oliver shook his head and copied her movements, trailing behind her as she climbed down some boulders and finally jumped the last three feet, landing cat-like in a ball on the cave floor. She waited patiently as Oliver did the same, landing with a thud on his butt.

"Ow," he groaned, rubbing his backside. "So, what exactly do you need down here?"

Chloe made her way to the still open antechamber, the key still in its slot. She gazed at it for a few moments. The book sat next to it on the stone table. She could hear Oliver behind her, muttering 'oohs' and 'aahs' while milling around the cavern.

"Whoa," he sighed when he joined Chloe in the small room off the main cave. "What is this place?"

The sense of urgency now gone, Chloe picked up the key gingerly. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin on the cool metal. In the other hand, she had the book. Slow steps carried her out and once she crossed the boundary, the wall closed with a earthy groan.

"What-what was that?" Oliver asked in awe, running his hands now over the solid wall where once there was a room.

The binding hissed as Chloe pulled the book open to replace the key. A folded piece of paper lay in wait. Unfolding it, she read in Clark's blocky script: Keep this safe for me.

She couldn't wait until she got back to the farm house. She couldn't wait until she was alone. With an eery calm, Chloe walked over to the wall and sat back against it. Fitting the key snugly in its cut-out, she laid it on the ground next to her. And then she began to sob. Heart-wrenching, gut-twisting sobs that sent chills down Oliver's back.

Quickly, he knelt next to her, not knowing what to do. Chloe turned toward him and Oliver opened his arms. For unnumerable minutes, Chloe cried lustily into Oliver's crew neck sweater. She cried until she hiccuped.

"Chloe, come on. Let's get out of here."

Chloe let him haul her up and pull her out of the caves. She hiccuped and cried all the way back to the house while Oliver drove. Inside, he sat her down on the living room sofa with a glass of water, forcing her to sip it slowly.

"Chloe, please, tell me what the hell is going on here! Where is Clark?"

"Clark is gone. He went to train at the Fortress with Jor-El," Chloe answered tiredly.

"Is that all? Then what was with the. . . Back in the cave?"

Chloe turned her eyes on Oliver, the orbs snapping with emerald fire. "He'll be gone for two years, Oliver. I won't see him for two years. There will be no way to contact him. For all we know, Jor-El may have sent him to a galaxy far, far away!"

"Did the two of you. . ." Oliver let his question trail off, ignoring her outburst.

"Yes, we did," Chloe spat as she jumped off the sofa. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone. Preferably in the shower." She tossed the empty glass on the cushion next to him.

Now Oliver understood. It wasn't that Chloe was upset that Clark had left for his training without saying good-bye. It was that Clark and Chloe had finally crossed the line and he left without saying good-bye. As long as he lived, Oliver would never understand Clark. Clark was surrounded by outstanding women and yet he treated this as if it were a curse.

Listening to the old pipes groan, Oliver puttered around the kitchen making a sandwich. He settled in front of the TV and began to channel surf. Waking up from dozing, he saw night had fallen. Oliver wandered upstairs to check on Chloe. He found her where he had found her earlier in the day. He pulled the covers up under her chin and returned to the living room. He toyed with the idea of calling Lois but quickly dismissed the idea. How could he explain Chloe's need for feminine company and Clark's absence?

He stuffed his phone back in his pocket as he hunted around for a news program. Looked like he was on Chloe detail for a couple of days.

* * *

"Clark," Chloe whispered into his ear as he propped himself up above her on one elbow, a self-confident smile spread across his face.

"Don't you go getting a big head," Chloe warned him, recognizing the smile as pure inflated male ego. "It's been a while."

"Come on, Chloe," Clark's growled huskily. He pulled her closer as he ran his fingers through her short curls. "Look me in the eye and tell me that was not the best time we've ever had together."

"Seeing as we normally just chase leads for the Weird and Unexplained Tales of a Kryptonian on Earth, this was pretty spectacular," Chloe admitted. It had never been like this with Jimmy. Jimmy was sweet and tender. Clark was... A whole different animal. Or alien.

Chloe gazed up at Clark, memorizing the way his bangs fell into his eyes at the angle and the way his perfect chest flexed when he moved his arm, his hand trailing up and down her hip. His muscles were like satin-covered steel and warm to the touch. She rubbed her hand up and down his arm, letting the coarse dark hair that covered his forearm brush against her palm.

"You're not going to regret this, are you?" Chloe was surprised to hear those words, so quiet in the night stretch between them. Even more so when she found they'd been spoken by Clark's low timber and not by her.

Meeting his eyes, the color matching hers almost exactly. Chloe smiled sadly. She leaned up and began to nuzzle his jaw-line, something she'd found made him very happy. Minutes later, Clark rolled them over, Chloe straddling him. He caught her momentarily under her arms, holding her away from him.

"I do want an answer, Chloe," said Clark, his eyes dark with passion.

"I won't regret it tomorrow," Chloe answered truthfully.

"Chloe?" Oliver asked gently, bringing Chloe suddenly out of her reverie. Chloe looked over at Oliver, a dish towel in his hands. Looking down, she found her arms encased up the elbows in yellow rubber gloves buried in a sink full soapy water.

"Yeah?" Chloe responded, resuming the sloshing of water as she scrubbed a bowl.

"You okay?" It was the second time her mind had went somewhere else in the past hour he'd been with her. Earlier today when Oliver came out to check on her, she'd been standing at the foot of the front stairs, staring into the family room. She hadn't seen him or heard him until he was pulling on her arm.

"I'm fine, Oliver. Just fine," Chloe assured him testily, handing him the next dish. He dried it deftly and put it away in one of the upper cabinets.

"Okay, listen. I was wondering if you were ready to come back to work?" Oliver asked, hoping this was good time to mention this. His team was desperately missing their colleague and Dinah was missing her female cohort.

"Oliver," Chloe ground out in an exasperated tone he'd become very familiar with over the past week. She continued to wash dishes but held her body in a stiff line.

"Chloe, I wouldn't even ask, but we think we found a left over 33.1 Lab we missed somewhere in Iceland. And since Lex's death was never really confirmed, I thought-"

"You mean after you blew up the trailer, you didn't think to check for Lex's DNA?" Chloe accused him.

"I did," Oliver replied defensively, getting a little testy himself. He and Chloe had never seen eye to eye on the Lex thing. He almost mentioned the little freak she murdered protecting Clark, but caught himself just in time. There was a good chance she didn't remember the incident, taking into consideration she had been partially possessed by a technologically advanced artificial alien intelligence. And that was the last thing Chloe needed right now. "We had no positive matches. The samples we did come up with were so close but not enough for any authorities to declare Lex Luthor legally dead."

"So just what exactly do you need me for?" Chloe handed him the last dish and pulled of the gloves with a we sucking noise after unplugging the sink to allow the water to drain. Walking over to the table, Chloe slumped in a chair and put her head in her hands. Why won't he just leave me alone? It had been a week since Clark left and everyday, Oliver made the hour and a half trek from his loft in Metropolis to the farm in Smallville to make sure Chloe hadn't jumped out a second-story window or stuck her head in the oven. And it was getting old.

"I think it would be good for you to get back to work. The Isis Foundation has been hopping since last week. I stopped by the other day and you poor receptionist had so many post-it notes for you it looked like the East Bunny hurled on it." Oliver joined her at the table, lacing his fingers on the wood in front of him. "It would make the time go by faster."

Rustling her hair with a breath, Chloe lifted her head and directed her attention to Oliver. "I didn't think I would miss him this much. He's been gone before. I thought it would be like any of the other times he left."

"But I'm guessing the two of you never slept together before he left," Oliver said, earning him a glare.

"Would you get off that? Please?" Chloe asked.

"As much as I've heard from Lois, you and Clark, I would think the friendship you two have is complicated enough without adding to it."

"It hasn't been complicated for a long time, Oliver," Chloe told him with a self-deprecating laugh, thinking of the tight-rope Clark and her had walked since high school. "I have this thing where when I think my life is about to drastically change I need to express myself physically. I usually just grab the closest guy and have a very Casablanca moment with him. This time I took it a little further."

"He's going to be gone for two years, Chloe. The bond you two have go way beyond friendship. This should be almost natural for the two of you," Oliver replied, hesitantly taking one of her hands. He'd never really been goon at platonic relationships like Clark. It was hard to believe his two friends hadn't gotten together sooner with all the stray feelings running around like trapped mice. Maybe now, with a night spent together, something changed between the two old friends. Then why did Clark leave anyway? Oliver wondered. Guessing he would have to wait along with Chloe for that answer, Oliver tuned back to Chloe's voice.

"I knew he was leaving. I know why. He's running away from his pain over Lana, like he always does. But part of me still thought he'd stay. It doesn't matter now. His running away has inadvertently pushed him to doing something I've thought he should do in the first place. Accept who he is and his destiny," Chloe said, smiling at Oliver's gesture of kindness. She squeezed his hand and pulled back, knowing he wasn't the touchy-feely kind of guy. "I just hope he is still my best friend when he returns."

"I doubt Clark Kent can change that much. You and your cousin are hard girls to forget, Chloe. You don't find women like you very often," Oliver told her with a touch of sadness, thinking about Lois.

"Thank you, Oliver. Just give me a few more days to wallow in self-pity and then I'll come back to work," Chloe said, trying to end the conversation before Oliver went into a melancholy state. She just couldn't deal with any of her heroes' personal problems right now. Even if one was her boss.

"So where allegedly is Clark supposed to be?" Oliver asked, still somewhat confused about how Chloe was covering all this up.

"Well, the first leg of his trip he's going to visit his mom on D.C., then he is headed to Minnesota to visit Kara. After that, I've got him scheduled to do some non-profit work and research for the Isis Foundation in countries where there have been significant meteor activity. Its all smoke and mirrors really." Chloe drummed her fingers on the shiny wood of the table.

"Speaking of smoke," Oliver chirped, standing to his feet hurriedly. "I forgot I was going to go over some new distraction techniques with the crew."

"Have fun. Thanks for stopping by. Again," Chloe reprimanded him.

"You wanna tag along?" Oliver suggested hopefully as he headed for the kitchen door. Chloe followed behind him, not a bit upset to see him go.

"A couple of days, Oliver. Not a couple of minutes," Chloe replied.

Oliver smiled. He was sorry to see her hurting. He'd become quite close to Chloe in the past year. She was so selfless and smart, giving so much of herself to other people like himself, all for the greater good of humanity. With a wave he walked out of the door.

Chloe returned to what she had been doing before Oliver barged in and demanded she have lunch with him. She curled back up on Clark's bed and fingered the Blue Kryptonite Clark left on her night table. She put it on her own wrist. It looked clunky on her, but she tightened the band until it fit snugly.

The next few days found Chloe in a tizzy. Laundry had piled up and the house had a fine layer of dust everywhere. In a moment of clarity, she unplugged the phone and turned off her cell phone. She sent Lois an email letting her cousin know she would be incommunicado for a couple of days. Lois, able to tell when Chloe was avoiding the world, had called her twice the other day but Chloe begged off, promising her they would talk soon. She also sent one to Oliver, warning him if he so much as showed a green booted foot on her doorstep, she'd get the emergency rifle Clark kept in the coat closet and fill him so full of holes he'd look like moldy swiss cheese.

The first day all she did was wander around the house in one of Clark's old shirts. She went through all the drawers in his room, looking at old stuff he'd kept like yearbooks and class assignments he'd gotten good grades on. In one notebook she found all the old issues of the Torch she'd edited. Every single one from when the two of them started on it in ninth grade to the time they graduated. Even during the time period when she and Clark were on the outs and he hadn't been allowed to enter her inner sanctum, he'd kept those issues too. Gathering them up in their three inch notebook, she went downstairs and laid out on the couch, reading each one cover to cover.

She woke up the next morning in the same spot she'd fallen asleep in, on the sofa with issues of the Torch surrounding her. She heard a soft yap! at the kitchen door.

"Shelby!" She cried. Chloe jumped up and ran to the door. Opening the door, she found the old, red dog sitting forlornly on the stoop outside the kitchen. "Sorry, boy." Chloe apologized as she motioned the dog in. She poured him some food and scratched his neck lovingly as he chomped it up.

"Guess its time for me to get busy," she told the dog. She changed quickly into a tank top and capris and came back downstairs to find Shelby finished and waiting by the back door again.

"I promise I won't forget you this time," Chloe said as she opened the door. Shelby woofed! at her reproachfully before heading back out, tail high in the air. Chloe just left the door open so he could come and go as he pleased. She made a mental note to look into a doggy door so when she had work long hours or was needed to go out of town for a few days, Shelby was able to come in if he needed to. He was getting older and in her opinion, not able to move around as he once did. Plus he was used to a master who could zip home whenever. Hopefully this would make both their lives easier.

Feeling incredibly domestic, Chloe began a load of clothes and went about cleaning the house. For two days straight she worked harder than she'd ever worked before, taking out her frustrations on oil stained jeans and stubborn shower spots. By the third day, the house was as clean as the day Martha Kent had left to go to D.C. The housework had fallen behind once Clark took over, him nor Kara being much with a broom or a mop.

Despite being bone tired, Chloe also felt elated. For three days she proved she could be alone. Her biggest fear had been the loneliness she would be left with when Clark went away. Granted, she was so tired when she fell into bed at night she had no time to stop and reflect before sleep captured her. Chloe knew it was time for her to go back. She'd had her few days, the days she needed to prove to herself she could do this. She could live without Clark Kent. Of course, every couple of minutes the words two years, only two years, please only two years, whispered through her mind.

* * *

Monday morning dawned with thick clouds and a heavy fog. One look outside and Chloe regretted her decision to return to work. She hadn't counted on the day being anything but life affirming. Chloe fought the urge to pull the covers back over her head and return to sleep. Instead, she kicked the covers away from her and bounded from the bed before she could give in to the temptation.

In an hour, she was dressed in a smart blue pencil skirt paired with a bright red silk blouse. The color scheme was not something she would normally wear, but today the blue and red combo felt oddly comforting. Slipping into a pair of red heels, she did a once over in the full-length mirror in Martha's room and deemed herself presentable for her first day back after her two week vacation. Sending Shelby out the door with the promise of a doggy-door in a couple of days, Chloe followed, locking the kitchen door behind her.

The drive to Metropolis was slow and clotted this morning. When she finally arrived at the Isis Foundation she was thirty minutes late for her first client. Opening the door to the purple hued waiting room, she saw the young boy and his female guardian.

"Hello, Jeremiah," she greeted with a kind smile. "I'll be with you in a moment." Walking further into the office, Chloe met her receptionist, Gladys, who gave a glad cry and barreled into Chloe with a hug.

"I am so glad you're back, Chloe!" Gladys exclaimed with a heavy Italian accent.

"Its good to be back. Thanks for holding down the fort, Gladys!" Chloe responded with pleasure. She allowed the larger woman to squeeze her a few more seconds before she pulled away. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course!" Gladys agreed quickly.

"Could you run down and get me a tall Caramel Latte with two shots of espresso? I don't think I can wait for coffee pot to sputter and spit this morning."

"Sure, sure. I'll send Jeremiah to you right before I go," Gladys said with a happy smile as she handed Chloe a stack of pastel multi-colored message post-it about an inch and a half thick. Chloe gazed at them with big eyes and decided they would make good lunch reading material.

"You," Chloe started, looking at the receptionist she'd hired right after the one left over from Lana, quit over being held hostage by a client who wanted counseling attention immediately. "Are awesome."

The work day passed quickly. Chloe saw clients back to back, so busy she didn't think once about the empty house quietly awaiting her return to Smallville. Her lunch hour was the same. She took big bites of the chicken salad sandwich from a corner bistro called Bernie's between returning calls from a few members of the small board along a couple of fund-raising specialists. At the rate the Foundation was growing, the money Lana had funneled away was burning fairly quickly. She waded through the rest of the messages, dividing them into the ones she could hand over to Gladys for booking and consultations and ones she wanted to handle herself. Chloe looked over the paperwork that awaited her once the clinic closed for the day. It was becoming apparent to Chloe she would need to hire another counselor. Where would she even find another person willing to work with the meteor infected? Gladys' own son, Luis, had come in for counseling for his ability to conduct electricity. As a mother, she'd been eager to work in the place that had brought such comfort to her family. Maybe Gladys would like a promotion. It was something Chloe would think on for a couple of days.

At six-forty-five, Chloe was calling good-bye to Gladys as the older woman was locking up and leaving for the day. The office, for the first time since eight-fifteen that morning, was silent. The only sounds Chloe could hear was the slight lulling whir from the computer room to her left as she bent over a mountain of paperwork. Glancing at her watch, she knew most of this would have to go home with her. Neatly gathering it into a pile, she walked a few paces to retrieve a briefcase she'd stashed in the corner for days like these.

She reached out and clutched the cool, battered leather. Chloe heard a familiar whoosh! noise followed by the sound of papers scattering softly onto the floor and around.

"Clark," Chloe breathed with relief. She spun around on a heel, a bright smile on her face only to stop short.

"Sorry, gorgeous. A little shorter and a lot faster," Bart quipped. He was dressed in his customary brunt red jacket and dark blue jeans with black sneakers.

"Bart," Chloe greeted, forcing enthusiasm into her voice at the sight of her young friend. She stepped forward and caught him in a hug, clamping her hands over his as they attempted to feel up her butt.

"Do you ever give up?" Chloe asked with exasperation as she moved back from the guy, crossing her arms.

"That depends," Bart replied with a sly grin. "Do you ever give in?"

"If she's anything like her cousin," a new voice threw in as the tall, lean form of Arthur Curry appeared in the doorway, resting a shoulder against the frame. He shot Chloe a devilish smile over Bart's head. "Then, no."

"Fishstick!" Chloe greeted another member of Oliver's Justice League. AC, as he preferred, screwed up his face in disgust at the degrading nickname. AC met her halfway, bending down to hug her.

"Still wearing you official colors, I see," Chloe snorted. AC nodded smartly, showing off his standard orange muscle sheet and moss swim trunks.

"They bring out my eyes," AC retorted, flopping down in a chair next to Bart at the circular table in Chloe's workroom/office/counseling room.

"What gives? What are you two doing here?" Chloe asked, only to be shocked by the sight of Victor Stone striding into the room as well. "Okay, make that three."

"The Leprechaun called an urgent staff meeting," Victor answered Chloe. "Told us to meet here. Did you not get the memo?"

"No," Chloe said. Picking up her purse, she dug around for her phone. It was only then she realized she'd left it connected to her charger beside the bed that morning. The three guys noticed her hands come up empty and immediately began ribbing her. The thought of their Watchtower being caught dead without her communication devices was highly amusing. Seconds later, as Chloe was talking to AC about his recent vacation to the Caribbean, she felt her phone being pressed into her hand. With raised eyebrows, she turned her to find Bart trying to stealthily slip her keys back into her purse. Chloe ignored him, knowing he wanted her to acknowledge his gesture. Instead, she focused her attention back on AC who had caught Bart's actions as well. AC rolled his eyes and smiled, noticing Bart's crestfallen expression when all Chloe did was turn the phone on and watch the screen, as if she'd always held the phone in her hand.

Sure enough, there were five missed calls from Oliver, three voice-mails and one text message in all caps: JL MEETING AT ISIS TO TALK ABOUT BOY SCOUT. Chloe groaned audibly. It needed to be done, to let the team know their super-powered back-up had flown the coop, but she dreaded it all the same.

"Boy Scout?" Victor said curiously as he read the text over her shoulder.

"What?" Bart and AC both asked sharply. The two crowded around Chloe with Victor to read the message.

"Boys, boys!" Oliver exclaimed as he gracefully entered the room. "We are all happy to have Ms. Sullivan back with us, but give her some room!"

Victor, AC and Bart turned on Oliver, giving him hard stares. Chloe watched Oliver look right back at them, not batting an eyelash.

"What's this about needing to talk about Clark?" Victor was the first one to voice. Oliver looked at Chloe, his facial expression leaving no room for argument.

"Why don't we all take a seat," Oliver suggested. Bart returned to the chair he'd vacated while Victor and AC sat at the other end from Chloe, who sank down into the plush office chair she's treated herself soon after moving in. Oliver grabbed two more chairs from the waiting room and shoved them into the fast shrinking room. Sitting in the chair closest to Chloe, scooting as close as he could to speak with her quietly without the rest of the team overhearing in the small space.

"I tried to call you, your cell phone and here but Gladys refused to put me through. She said you were too busy to be bothered," Oliver explained with respect shining in his eyes."

"I'll have to talk to her," Chloe responded haughtily, not having the slightest intention on correcting Gladys. "Queen Industries is by far one of our biggest benefactors."

"Aw, well," Oliver played along, knowing Chloe couldn't care less who Gladys chose to put through to her. "Its hard to find employees that are so committed to their work and their bosses. It inspires confidence."

"I agree. Why didn't you come over earlier? Queen in just a few blocks over," Chloe suggested, still a little annoyed at this meeting being sprung on her.

"I was stuck in back to back meetings. I also had a feeling if I told you face to face, there would have been a good chance I'd have my mind changed." Oliver slid her eyes back to her, a knowing look in them.

"Dating Lois was good prep on how to handle me, wasn't it?" Chloe teased.

"There are definite similarities between the two of you," Oliver replied. "I am sorry for springing it on you. But I think the guys need to know. Its only fair since we are a team."

"You're right. But you and I are the only ones who know about Clark's Kryptonian heritage in the club. I'm not sure he'd appreciate us outing him without his consent."

"Clark can stay in the closet as long as he likes. Tell them your version on his absence. They just need to know he won't be around for awhile," Oliver replied. He turned his attention to the group gathered around the circular table of the workroom. One was still missing.

"Where's Dinah?" He asked the collective group. "She's the first one to be contacted but the last to arrive. Women!"

"I find that quite stereotypical of you, Mr. Queen." The seductive feminine voice of the Black Canary floated through the doorway, just ahead of its owner. Dinah appeared, her luxurious chestnut wig perfectly in place, dressed in a black knee length trench coat, cinched tightly at her waist. She waltzed in and all male stares centered on her momentarily as she took the last remaining chair on the other side of Chloe. Even Oliver was a little goo-goo eyes at one of his two female Leaguers.

"I was detained by our new fearless leader," Dinah explained, referring to Tess Mercer, Lex's unknown second in command when he was alive.

"What did she want?" Oliver asked her, knowing Mercy usually steered clear of the Voice of Justice, Dinah's stuff never really interested Tess.

"Believe it or not, she wanted fashion advice," Dinah answered Oliver. Her voice dripped with sarcasm, her way of telling Oliver to back off.

"Fine," Oliver conceded. The group watched him stand and look out on the people surrounding him. "I called this emergency meeting because we, I mean, Chloe, has an announcement she-" Chloe cleared her throat loudly. "I feel she should share." Oliver say back down and looked at Chloe, giving her the floor.

Chloe elected not to stand. "As you all have seen or heard, this past year has been really hard on Clark."

"And you," Bart pointed out.

"Yes, I've had a hard year, too. Anyway," Chloe hurried on, wanting the spotlight off her botched wedding and the death of her husband. "Clark felt the need to leave Smallville for a little bit, to clear his head and take some time to heal."

"How long?" and "Where did he go?" were spoken by Victor and AC simultaneously.

"He went to visit family and then he's doing me a favor by participating in a research project for the Foundation. He should only be gone two years."

"Two years!" Bart exclaimed. "What if we need him?"

"Chloe can get in touch with him if that arises," Oliver hastened to add, not wanting any of his team to get suspicious. "He's taking some much needed time off, though. And we need to respect that."

Bart nodded, knowing the last part was meant for him not to go tearing around the globe to find his running buddy.

"Is this because of Lana?" Dinah asked. She'd met Clark only recently and didn't know the whole history of Clark and Lana like the rest of the boys. She'd heard enough about the woman called Lana from Chloe to know she was very special to Clark.

"Sort of," Chloe answered reluctantly. She didn't want the League to think Clark was this weak when it came to women. But he was when it came to Lana. . .

"So, is that all?" Dinah asked, jumping from her seat, startling the rest of the group. The men looked at her as if she'd just stabbed one of them. Chloe smiled. Of course Dinah wouldn't take the news of Clark's twenty-four month long hiatus as hard as the rest. Everyone in this room, except for Dinah, had benefited in some way from Clark's unique brand of kindness and confidence.

"Got a hot date?" AC brayed, hoping to break the tension.

"If you consider hacking into a wayward congressman's personal files a date, then yes, I do," Dinah shot back.

"We don't, so sit back down," Oliver ordered her. Dinah sunk back down, crossing her arms childishly. "Since we have Watchtower back online, I think it would be a good idea to go over some of the projects we've been working on and bring her up to speed."

Chloe sat in her chair, taking notes for the better part of the next three hours, Oliver's little band of merry-people had certainly been keeping themselves busy. Each had their own special pet projects Oliver assigned them along with the bigger hits they worked as a team. When it was close to mid-night, Chloe yawned obviously and Oliver brought the meeting to a close.

"That should wrap it up. I'll see you all in three days," Oliver dismissed them as a whole.

Chloe stood and stretched, waving good-bye to Bart as he zipped out into the night. Looking at her watch, it was half-past mid-night and she still had an hour and a half drive ahead of her. Groaning, she began packing up her things to go home.

"Hey, AC and Victor are going to crash at my place," Oliver told her, rubbing a friendly hand along her back. "You wanna come?"

"Or you could stay with me," Dinah offered, too. Chloe looked at both of them and smiled, shaking her head.

"I left Shelby out today and I'm sure he would appreciate if I came home and let him back in," Chloe responded.

"You want me to call Bart back and have him run you home?" Oliver suggested.

"Oliver," Chloe started, taking in his concerned stare and protective stance. "I'm good. I can drive home. I want to. By the way, how did Bart know to get my phone out at Clark's?" She asked Victor.

"Clark told him you moved in with him a couple of months ago when they met in Canada," AC answered.

"We thought the two of you had finally become an item," Victor revealed. "Thats why we were all a little shocked when you said Clark went off the radar."

"I'm house-sitting, that's all," Chloe said to all three men left standing in her work room. After another ten minutes of shooting the breeze, they finally strolled out, turning off lights as they went. When Chloe was at the door to the clinic, ready to lock up, she realized Dinah was still straggling along behind her.

"Dinah, you okay?" Chloe asked the woman as she sailed through the doorway so Chloe could lock up.

"I'm fine," she assured Chloe. "Are you sure you don't want to come over tonight?"

"What's up, Dinah? Is there something you need to talk to me about?" The women walked together down the hall, both stuffing their hands into their coat pockets.

"No, not at all. In fact," Dinah stopped and turned to face Chloe as they waited for the elevator to rise to the tenth floor of the building. "Oliver mentioned you might need to have some girl talk. Not that I'd be very good at it."

"So, you know," Chloe said quietly.

"Oliver didn't tell me exactly what happened but he left enough fill-in-the-blanks for me to put two and two together. Especially after tonight," Dinah replied.

"Thanks, Dinah. I'm fine, really. I've had a few days to get used to this. I would appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself. Oliver only found out because he doesn't have personal boundaries. Or the ability to knock on doors. I would rather the whole crew not get a good look at this entry in my diary." The elevator dinged. Chloe and Dinah stepped inside.

"Of course. I won't say a word. Was he good? I bet he was good," Dinah quipped in an uncharacteristic showing of light-heartedness.

"What kind of a girl do you think I am? I don't kiss and tell," Chloe replied with a sly grin.

Chloe offered to give Dinah a ride to her apartment, which she accepted. It was a quiet ride, but a comfortable quiet. Dinah again repeated her offer to talk if Chloe wanted to.

"Thanks. Maybe one day."

Chloe still wondered if the entire League knew what she and Clark had done. She wasn't embarrassed, but she would prefer to keep what had happened to herself for the time being. It was private and special and Chloe didn't have many things like that. Working for a League of Heroes and spending the rest of her time helping people deal with their own secrets, she felt she'd lost most of herself to the space of others.

Parking in front of the house, she found Shelby laying by the front door. With an arthritic lurch, Shelby roused himself to his feet and wiggled on the porch.

"Sorry I'm late. Let's go." Chloe entered the house, Shelby's claws clicking behind her. The house was silent and dark. She'd never seen the house this way before. Warm light or background noise had always filled the spacious farm house. Dropping her purse and briefcase on the floor, she hurried through and turned on all the lights in the house.

Finding herself in Clark's room, she stripped out of her work clothes and pulled on a long sleeve sweat shirt of Clark's that hung to her knees. As she had done for the past week and a half, she slipped on the Blue Kryptonite Bracelet and curled up in the blue sheets. Shelby wandered in. After a few whines, Chloe lifted the dog up onto the bed. He nuzzled himself up against her hip, a warm, comforting presence.

"This can't become a habit, big guy," Chloe told the dog. "Clark will not be happy when he gets back and finds you've taken over his bed."

She rearranged the pillows under her head.

"Oh, well. Its only for two years. Right, Shelb?" Chloe murmured as she closed her eyes.

* * *

Images of her filled his mind. The sunlight bathing her face as she climbed the stairs to his loft. Her soft smile directed at him from across the hallway. Sitting in the Talon sipping coffee as she watched the other patrons around her. Her shining hair feathered out on the pillow as she laid in bed next to him, sleeping soundly.

"Kal-El," his father spoke harshly, his annoyance at his son's wandering mind apparent. "You're obsession with this earthly woman is a distraction. It makes you weak."

"Chloe Sullivan makes me anything but weak," Clark snarled back, angered at once again letting his mind give in to the memories; angered at Jor-El for interrupting them.

"I'm sorry," Clark apologized, returning to the task at hand.

"I have told you before the only way to embrace you destiny is to let go of the ties holding you to the Earth. Be in the human race, but not of it," Jor-El advised again.

"And I can't do that," Clark argued. "Earth is my home. I have friends and family there. If you didn't want me to have human emotions then you shouldn't have sent me there."

"I do not mean for you to give up your humanity completely. Learn from your mistakes and do not let it rule you as you have in the past," Jor-El's voice echoed through the cavern-like space.

"How long have I been away?" Clark asked, finally voicing the question that had plagued him since he set foot into the Fortress.

"One and a half Kryptonian years. Are you that anxious to return, Kal-El?" Jor-El asked in a moment of fatherly interest.

"I think someone is waiting on me," Clark answered.

"The woman who keeps distracting you away from your training? She will be there when you return," Jor-El told him.

"Only a year and a half? It feels like so much longer," Clark muttered. Six more months, Chloe.

"May we continue preparation for your next mission?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Eight Years Later...**

The view from her newly remodeled office on the thirteenth floor of the Isis Foundation was breath-taking. That is if you liked bustling, gritty, cacophonous city street-scrapes, which Chloe Sullivan, the head of the Isis Foundation, did. The whole of downtown Metropolis seemed spread before her and she would only need to open her window to step out into the middle of it. Gazing off to the north, Chloe could see what used to be the Luthercorp Head Offices, now recently renamed Queen Industries Met. Branch, casting shadows over the gleaming, golden spinning globe atop the Daily Planet.

The phone on her desk began to beep incessantly. Reluctantly, Chloe pulled herself from her wall-to-wall windows and sashayed across the spacious room to the back corner where her work area was located.

Hitting the speaker button, Chloe chirped, "Yes?"

"Ms. Sullivan," Jillian, Chloe's personal secretary, spoke briskly. "I have Mrs. Lewis on the line."

Chloe rubbed the back of her neck underneath her hair. She wasn't ready for the inevitable conversation she would have to face soon with her biggest rival for the city grant money. Groaning, Chloe hit the intercom button once more. "Take a message and ask her to call back this afternoon. I'll speak with her then," Chloe told her with a swift decisiveness.

She returned to her view, loosing herself in the observations of traffic on the sidewalks and streets down below her. Mrs. Petunia Lewis was going to be a tough opponent. Married to one of the highest respected philanthropist in Metropolis, Mrs. Lewis had unlimited sway over many city board committees for her planned upgrade for the Boys' and Girls' Club computer lab using the grant money. Chloe didn't think the wife of highly public citizen, Dr. Phillip Lewis, would try to use her clout to influence the decision of the grant committee. However, in a city with a crime rate slightly lower than Gotham, one could never be sure.

Under her skillful hand, the Isis Foundation had grown from a small, privately funded counseling facility into a huge, non-profit public interest company that catered to the needs of the downtrodden of Metropolis and put their needs in the fore-front of the city's agenda. With the grant money, she wanted to open another branch of the Isis Foundation, a special clinic in the Suicide Slums for victims of gang and street violence partnered with a rehabilitative center for paroled criminals who met a certain criteria. In the back of her mind, Chloe was also toying with the idea of a Womens' Clinic, but that pipe dream would need to wait until after her current plot point.

Even though the Isis Foundation had branched out considerably, it still had a specific section for the meteor infected. Gladys Gallo, Chloe's once over-worked receptionist, was now the head of the meteor infected department with a smattering of other counselors beneath her who had been somehow touched by the last meteor shower over ten years ago. Being the head of a growing foundation took Chloe out of the mundane day-to-day activities, but she asked for weekly reports on high risk clients to keep track of their progress along with reports from the other departments as well.

When Lana, six years ago, had officially stepped down and named Chloe Sullivan as her successor, no one was more stunned than Chloe herself. She'd always assumed she was just baby-sitting until Lana Luthor, a surname she chose to keep for the power that went along with it, returned to her throne. But Lana had stepped aside, with no warning or reason. Chloe had been terrified. She didn't know what to do, how to run a fast-spreading foundation or how to be a boss to the thirty plus employees Chloe had somehow hired over the years. Now she had over two hundred employees and hiring more all the time. Chloe's director chair was becoming a little more comfortable every day.

Lost in her reflections, Chloe gasped as nicely formed arms wrapped around her waist to pull her back against a solid chest of muscle.

"Hey, beautiful." A manly whisper tickled Chloe's ear. A bright smile broke across Chloe's face as she turned inside the circle of strong arms.

"And just what are you doing here?" Chloe asked coyly as she crossed her wrists together behind Oliver Queen's neck, standing on tiptoes to meet his greeting kiss.

"I wanted to see if you were free," Oliver began devilishly, dipping his head down again to kiss her longingly.

"I'm always free for you," Chloe simpered seductively, batting her eyelashes as she ran her hands along the length of his tailored suit jacket.

"Yeah, yeah," Oliver retorted, tightening his grip on his little girlfriend. "That's why for the past week I've only see you five minutes before you're fast asleep."

"Well, it's not my fault the Green Arrow's Quiver seems to be in overdrive these days," Chloe countered with a teasing smile, tucking her hands into the back pockets on his designer trousers. "But, I'm not especially busy now. . ."

Chloe rose up again on her tiptoes and kissed Oliver hungrily, hoping to communicate she missed him as well. Oliver returned her kiss for a few moments and then pulled away reluctantly.

"I would love to take you up on that offer," Oliver said throatily. "But you haven't put the blinds up yet."

"Oh, yeah." Chloe remembered with disappointment. Her office was pretty high up, but it did have a few neighbors across the way.

"Anyway," Oliver continued as he cleared his throat. "I wanted to see if you wanted to have lunch with the sexiest bachelor in Metropolis?"

"When did Bruce Wayne get into town?" Chloe teased. Oliver pouted at her.

"I would love to have lunch with you," Chloe amended, earning her a squeeze from Oliver before he released her. "But you're not really a bachelor anymore, are you?"

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Oliver quipped as he popped Chloe playfully on her bottom as she walked away from him to her desk. Chloe squealed and then made a face at him. "They'll call me a bachelor until someone makes an honest man out of me."

"Good thing honesty doesn't rate high on our charts," Chloe muttered. "Just give me a few minutes."

Oliver nodded, glancing around the bigger office Chloe's staff had talked her into. It was rectangular, one of the walls being the windows looking out on the city. The other three were painted a bright, happy red with black and white abstract art hung strategically around the walls. Chloe's desk, with a black lacquer finish, was set in the furthest back corner, angled toward the view. Behind her chair was an arched doorway that led off to another room, housing the old media center she'd moved up from the old workroom when Isis was just one floor in the building. Grouped together, in the middle of her office, was a comfy leather love seat and two black suede recliners with snowy white throw pillows matching the fluffy carpet. Oliver sank into the leather and propped his feet on the glass topped coffee table the furniture was arranged around.

Resting his head on his hand, Oliver alternated looking at the view and watching Chloe finish up some paperwork. When she stood to file some things in the black file cabinets on the other side of the arched doorway, Oliver stood too.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready," Chloe parroted as she grabbed the yellow heels matching the filmy blouse on top of chocolate colored dress pants. Oliver walked to the door and took the matching brown jacket off the fancy shelf of hooks mounted right next to the door of her office along with her purse. He held out the jacket as Chloe slid into it, taking her purse with a free hand. Halting Oliver one more time, she rummaged around for her wallet.

"I need to make sure I have my bank card," Chloe explained as she finally dug it out and opened it.

"Don't worry. I'll get it," Oliver snorted, watching a couple of scrapes of paper and an envelope fall from the jumbled contents. He swooped them up before Chloe even saw them fall.

"You don't want to loose these," Oliver observed as he handed the two tickets to the fundraiser  
gala they were scheduled to attend later that week back to Chloe, still holding the rumpled envelope in his hand.

"What's this?" He asked, seeing it addressed to Chloe in an unsteady scrawl. It didn't have a stamp or return address or anything else, except her name. Oliver flipped it over an saw a piece of notebook paper inside.

Chloe saw what Oliver held with an unease settling in her chest, constricting her lungs. "Nothing," she told him quickly, attempting to snatch it from him. Oliver pulled the envelope away, still held firmly in his grip.

"Chloe," Oliver intoned seriously. "What is this?"

Chloe looked at Oliver's face, now formed into a pretty mask of stubbornness. "He wrote me again," she answered quietly, knowing Oliver wouldn't be satisfied until she came clean.

"When did you get this?" Oliver questioned, taking the notebook paper out and unfolding it. He read the note slowly. It was written in the same unsteady hand. Nearing the end, he felt his blood start to curdle. Crumbling to paper in his hand, anger stiffened his loose form.

"About a month ago," Chloe told him as she shifted from one foot to another.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked softly, taking one of her hands with his.

"You've-I've-We've both been so busy lately. My grant proceedings, your mergers and taking over the Daily Planet along with our JLA activities has been pretty demanding recently. I didn't want to add to your stress," Chloe explained, allowing Oliver to pull her into a protective embrace.

"What about the stress this has caused you, Chloe?"

"Its not like he's done anything in the past when he said he would," Chloe said, ignoring Oliver's remark about her stress levels, which were beginning to reach the desperate stage. "I might as well tell you this is not the last letter I've gotten."

"There have been more?" Oliver fought hard not to shout, Chloe's safety becoming a bigger concern. "Where are the others?"

"I threw them away," Chloe answered in a small voice against Oliver's lapel.

"Chloe!" Oliver exclaimed, not able to hold back his shock and anger any longer. He grasped her shoulders tightly and looked intently down at her. "How could you have done that? We needed those for the evidence. I can't believe I'm saying this, but we need to go to the police."

"Oliver," Chloe started, pushing away from him and meeting his eyes with a stubborn set to her own jaw. "I attended high school at the Meteor Infected Psycho Ward. I worked at the Daily Planet under the most vile man. I have been the side-kick to over six heroes and am currently dating my cousin's ex-boyfriend, which is the most dangerous of the things I've mentioned. Trust me when I say I can handle myself."

The two stared each other down for a moment, each feeling the other's stubbornness ebb and flow. Finally, Oliver stepped forward. "I still don't like someone threatening you," he told her in a hard voice, not touching her.

"I don't like it either," Chloe admitted, relaxing against Oliver. "But being the plus one to the CEO of Queen Industries does come with some hate mail at times," she told him sardonically, referring to a few rabid letters she received every once and awhile from Oliver's feminine fans.

"Thank you for putting up with my stalkers. And ex-girlfriends," Oliver husked as he bent his head to kiss her.

"Hey," Chloe let out before their lips met. "That last one is family."

A shrill whistle halted them an inch from each other. Oliver groaned as Chloe exhaled. "That always happens, doesn't it?"

"Comes with the territory," Chloe replied good-naturedly. She watched Oliver retrieve the phone from his back pocket and activate the screen. His expression told Chloe something needed his attention more than her. "I guess lunch is out," she assumed, shaking the blonde hair out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Oliver apologized, looking at her over the phone. "It's Bart. It seems he's having trouble procuring the information from the prison in Russia where Lex was held."

"Do you need my help?" Chloe offered immediately, sauntering over to the doorway to the media center.

"Sure. Can you hack into a locked vault of a prison where they still don't have running water?" Oliver asked sarcastically.

"You're very funny," Chloe quipped with annoyance.

"Not everything is as high tech as you or I would prefer," Oliver said with a frown. "I have to call him back. Looks like the team will heading to Russia in a couple of weeks."

"Lovely," Chloe sighed. "I always enjoy treks out in the middle of nowhere with thirty feet of snow in a minus twenty temperature."

"Fine, maybe you won't be invited," Oliver stated.

"You could not find your way out of a paper bag without me," Chloe said playfully.

Oliver jogged the few feet between them. "Will I see you at dinner tonight?" He hinted hopefully.

"Depends. Is the Green Arrow making any pit stops on the way?"

"I think he's taking the night off," Oliver informed her, his face garnished with a happy, contagious grin.

"Then I'll see you at home," Chloe replied, taking his face in her hands and pulling her pretty blonde hero down for a kiss before sending him out the door.

* * *

Clark's feet touched down on the solid ground of his Fortress. Getting his land legs under him again, he strode forward, the crystal structures around him beginning to glow faintly.

"Welcome home, my son," Jor-El's voice echoed around him. "Were you successful?"

"Yes, Father. Catyhpa's rings have been shifted back in place and peace has been restored to the planet. They are no longer in danger of spiraling themselves out of their galaxy and into another one," Clark updated. Over the past few months, after he'd completed his practical training, Jor-El had been sending him on the little errands to the other galaxies. He'd resolved a food shortage on one planet, learned about alternative fuel methods on another and just observed many other strange species and cultures. For the Kansas farm boy he still was at heart, it was almost too fantastical for Clark to comprehend. Lowering himself down to sit on an ice ledge, Clark hung his head down and breathed in deeply. He was so tired. Catyhpa's light source was an eerie blue star that shone in the north. He'd barely had enough energy to return to Earth, using most of his powers back on the unfamiliar planet.

"You need rest, Kal-El. We can debrief later," Jor-El relented.

"Thank you," Clark replied heavily. He raised himself and made his back into the bowels of the Fortress, to a chamber with crystal so thin the sun's healing rays shone through almost unhindered. A structure stood in the room, a white fluffiness atop it resembling a cloud. Clark allowed his weight to fall onto it and he slept for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

Clark awoke some hours later, fully restored. He rolled over and gazed up at the thin crystal ceiling. The sun had moved lower in the sky, telling him it was becoming evening. As always, when he had precious down time, he thought of Chloe. With no promises spoken between them, Clark wondered if she waited for him. Some time ago, Clark realized that was what he wanted her to do. He wanted her to wait for him. Because when he returned, he could give what he couldn't when they were younger. If she still wants it, a nagging thought flashed.

"Kal-El," a disembodied voice rang out. Clark groaned. His father knew he was awake. He zoomed to the main cavern of the Fortress and stood before the crystal console, ready to give his report.

The sun sank lower as Clark and Jor-El spoke. Finally, Jor-El said haltingly, "Kal-El, I have something to tell you."

Clark nodded, "What is it?"

"You've completed your training. It is now time for you to return to your earthly home."

Clark's head shot up. He was done? He gazed at the crystal console a few feet from him. "I can go home?"

"Yes. It is time. I have taught you everything I can. Its time for you to discover what other mysteries are in store for you on your own."

"Thank you, Father. For teaching me and for your patience. I can go now?" Clark asked again, still not daring to believe he was finished.

"Yes, Kal-El, you may go now. But remember, I am always here, my son. For whatever you may need." And with that parting comment, the Fortress became gray and cold, as if his father's spirit had left it. Clark looked around him. It was time to go home. Home. Back to Kansas. Back to Smallville. Back to his farm.

"Back to Chloe," he whispered. He saw her, clear as day, laying in his bed, all pretty and soft in the mid-morning sun.

"I love you," she'd whispered.

She would hear him this time, he'd make sure of it. In a fury of excitement, Clark thrust his body in the air and soared through the sky, heading toward his childhood home and his sweetheart. Clark Kent the boy, still loved Lana. She was his first love. He would love her until the day he died. But Clark Kent the man, knew Chloe was the one. Until this moment, Clark knew he'd never been ready to love Chloe. He'd never appreciated her until she had been stripped from his life. He'd never known what it was like to miss her, yearn for her. He'd never known how much he loved her until he was separated from her for the very first time since he was thirteen. He didn't regret loving Lana. In fact, he was glad that he had loved Lana. As Chloe had told him some months before her wedding, when she asked him to give her away at the altar, her feelings for him when they were teenagers helped prepare her to share her love with the perfect person when she was ready.

"So you blew it bud," she teased with a twinkle in her eye as she plucked the letter from his fingers. How odd life's timing was. He was so grateful he hadn't blown it, that he was able to be with Chloe after so many years. He was sorry for the pain both of them had been forced to endure over these past few years, with Jimmy and Lana, but if the purpose was to be ready for the true love the two had for one another when the time was right, how could he regret any of their past decisions?

Evening began to fall around him as he found himself passing over the Kansas state line. The colors of the leaves were a vibrant red and orange, telling him Autumn was settling in. As if willing himself there, he saw his land begin to appear. And then the barn. And finally, his home, it's yellow paint job still looking fresh and the surroundings unchanged. The windows were lit warmly from within and he could make out the flickering of flames in the fireplace in the vacant living room.

Clark circled the house once more before landing gracefully on the drive between the house and barn. He listened closely. A soft humming was coming from the barn, the tune slightly familiar to him. With crunching footsteps, Clark walked to the barn. Inside, again, most things were unchanged. The tractor sat where he left it though he could tell it was still used by the tire marks and ruts around it. He looked up and saw his loft, noting that it looked a little different but not sure why. Then he saw her.

She was down at the far end, in a horse-stall with a grand looking blonde animal. Chloe was rubbing the horse down, something Clark wasn't aware she knew how to do. She must have learned. She bent her head close to the horse's body and was speaking with a very calm, confident tone. Leaning against a beam, Clark allowed his eyes to drink her in. Her hair was still golden hued, only a little darker than before. It was slightly longer and pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail. Turning, Clark gazed at her profile. She had her long bangs pulled back from her face, leaving it clean and un-obscured. She looked slightly older, but seeing as two years had passed, Clark had expected it.

"Good boy," Chloe whispered, nuzzling the horse's neck. She patted it once more on the rump before exiting the stall. A low laugh rumbled in Clark's chest as he took in her form-fitting blue jeans tucked into a pair of worn cowboy boots. She wore what looked like Jonathon's old brown jacket on top. With her back still to him, she walked to the nearest wall and put the horse brush in its assigned place on a shelf. Taking her unaware, Clark sped quietly behind her, sneaking his arms around her waist and pulling her back against him, her body feeling warm and solid. He dreamed of this moment for two long, lonely years.

"Hey, beautiful," he whispered huskily above her ear. "I've missed you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Hey, beautiful. I've missed you."

Chloe giggled, her scare reflex long dormant from years of super-speeders whooshing in and out of Watchtower. Spinning around to greet Oliver, she said, "Missed me? Its only been-"

The words died in her throat as she stared into sea-green eyes. Eyes she never thought she would peer into again with the exception of her dreams. "Oh-my-god-" she exhaled brokenly. Reacting with shock, Chloe pushed out of the steel-like arms holding her waist in a panic, retreating until her back hit the shelves behind her. She thought he was gone, abandoned her, the world. Dead. Told herself over and over he wasn't coming back for her. It was the only way she could move on and have some semblance of a normal life. But now, standing before her. . . Clark. Healthy and strong and alive and. . . Here. Grappling for the light switch to her right, she flicked it on. Light flooded the barn and Chloe stared at the apparition before her.

Clark Kent stood a few feet in front of her, seeming taller and larger than when he left. He had the same thick, wavy black hair with matching heavy brows, the same chiseled features. Chloe had forgotten how handsome he was and all she could do was stare, open mouthed as the love of her life appeared majestically before her. But where had he be been? Why had he not come back sooner? Why hadn't he contacted her? Sent her a damn message or a smoke signal? Chloe pressed a hand over her mouth, afraid the nausea she was experiencing would cause her to vomit all over his boots. The same boots he'd walked out in. In fact, he was still dressed in the blue t-shirt and red jacket.

"Clark?" Chloe whispered hoarsely, still unable to believe what was in front of her.

"Who else were you expecting?" Clark teased, taking a hesitant step toward her. He longed to hold her again in his arms, but she was so pale, as if she'd seen a ghost. Was his return that much of a shock?

He can't be real. I've fallen asleep again. I'll wake up in five minutes and be in bed next to Oliver. This isn't real. Reaching out, Chloe laid a hand on his cheek, the warmth and the sand-papery texture of his flesh sending jolts of awareness shooting through her, proving Clark really stood there. "Oh, Clark," Chloe sobbed mournfully, falling against him in relief and anguish and wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hey," Clark laughed, hugging her back. "I promised you I would come back."

"I know, I know you did," Chloe murmured stuffily into his jacket.

Clark bent his head down and buried it in her soft hair, the smell of spicy cinnamon filling his nostrils. Some things never change, he thought with comfort. "I've been dreaming of this moment for two years, Chloe," Clark said gruffly into the crook of her neck.

Clinging to his waist, Chloe allowed herself a few more moments of pleasure in Clark's arms before she pulled away. "Clark, I have to tell you something," she began.

"I have something I want to tell you, too," Clark returned. "But before I do that. . ." Clark took her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks.

"Clark-" Chloe muttered as his lips descended. And then she forgot everything. It was eight years ago and she was in Clark's room and they were kissing and she wasn't aware of anything but him. Her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling him closer.

Clark kissed Chloe slowly, savoring the connection between the two of them, never wanting to let her go. And knowing he wouldn't have to. . .

"Mom?" A little voice sounded in the big space of the barn.

Clark opened his eyes as Chloe jerked away from him. Chloe lifted her eye lids, the hazel orbs carefully guarded as she looked at him. "This is what I wanted to tell you," she whispered guiltily. Chloe disentangled herself from him, pushing his arms away and stepping out around him.

"Honey, come here." Chloe motioned the boy over to her. Clark turned and saw a tall, skinny boy with spiky blonde hair and eyes identical to Chloe's. His heart began to pound and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I want you to meet somebody," Chloe continued in a whisper, Clark catching every word. "Where's your brother?"

"He's outside with Shelby," the young boy answered. "You want me to get him?"

"Yes, please."

The boy ran to the barn door and yelled loudly into the gathering night. "Kaid!" Clark saw a figure join the other and both turned and walked back to Chloe, whispering the whole way. Shelby, his red lab, loping along behind him. The two halted just short of Chloe, the dog sitting down between the boys, his tail thumping happily as he looked back and forth between the boys. Clark was amazed at how young Shelby looked, but he didn't have room to process what change his dog had undergone as two pairs of identical eyes peered at him beneath thick, sable lashes.

"Clark," Chloe started with forced cheeriness. "I'd like you to meet my sons. Connor." She laid her hand lovingly on top of the first boy's head, the one with the short, spiky hair and the hazel eyes. The young boy smiled at Clark, his two front teeth missing. "And Kincaid." The second boy was almost identical to his brother. He had the same warm eyes, the same defined features and the same color of wheat blonde hair. The only way Clark could tell the two apart was Kincaid, or Kaid as he was called, had thick, curly hair stuck to his scalp with sweat. And he wasn't smiling. Just looking at Clark sullenly.

"Boys, this is Clark Kent. He and I were really good friend when we were younger," Chloe finished, shooting Clark a shaky smile.

Connor stepped forward, his small hand out-stretched. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kent."

Clark grasped the small hand in his own and shook it gravely. Again, Kaid stood close to Chloe, one arm wrapped around her waist. Clark watched as she absently combed her fingers through the boy's curls. Sons?

"Nice to meet you, too, Connor," Clark replied with a tight smile. He sought out Chloe's eyes, searching them. What was going on? Who were these kids? Before Clark could voice any of his battering questions, another voice threw itself into the fray.

"What is everyone doing in here?" Oliver called out, as he too, strode into the barn. Spotting Clark, Oliver halted, his face registering the shock of seeing his old friend. One, like Chloe, he thought was lost to them.

"Ollie!" The twins cried simultaneously as they broke into a run and launched themselves at Oliver's legs. Shelby broke into happy yips and bounced around the three, completely ignoring Clark, who continued to swing his bewildered gaze between Chloe and Oliver.

"How are my guys?" Oliver asked playfully, squatting and pulling both boys into a tight hug. With a tiny awkward skip, Chloe joined the group, making them a complete blonde nuclear unit. Clark's chest constricted as he watched Chloe touch Oliver gently on the shoulder and cocked her head in Clark's direction. Catching her meaning, Oliver stood to his feet again. "Come on, boys. Let's go in the house and rustle up some grub. Give your mom the night off," Oliver suggested to the boys who shot off for the farm house, laughing and shouting with Shelby nipping at their heels as they went.

"We'll be inside," Oliver said quietly, leaning down and pecking Chloe on the cheek. Clark's fist twitched.

"We're right behind you," Chloe told him, grazing her hand over upper chest with affection.

"Its good to see you, Clark. Really good," Oliver said in parting, jogging out in the wake of Connor and Kaid. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Chloe faced Clark again, who stood stonily silent, his brain ringing and raging from all the pictures and sounds that had just played out before him. She was a mom. To twins. Who were older. And Chloe and Oliver were too comfortable with one another. Clark felt the temptation to stamp his foot as he's done when he was six. Instead, with a strangled voice he asked, "Chloe, what is going on?"

Chloe looked at Clark with sympathy. How she wished she could have eased him in gently to all that had changed in the time he was gone. How was she going to tell him Oliver and her were an item and sort of lived together sometimes in his house? That she was a mom to twin seven year old boys? She opened her mouth and then closed it, resembling a fish. For the first time since she'd known Clark, he looked genuinely scared.

"How long have I been gone?"

Looking him straight in the eye, Chloe griped his upper arm. "Eight years, three months and twelve days."

* * *

Oliver was making a mess of the kitchen when Chloe, trailed by a numb Clark, entered the house. She held the door open for him and Clark shied in, stopping as a rush of memories flowed through him. Chloe changed nothing. Everything in the kitchen, at least, was still the same with its battered wooden island and old-fashion appliances. On the stove sat a big pot and Connor and Kaid were setting the table with sturdy yellow patterned dishes. The setting was so impossibly tranquil and homey, with Oliver unpacking a grocery sack to the two boys laying silverware on folded napkins close to empty glasses.

"Clark," Chloe said his name, shaking his shoulder gently. "Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" She offered again. Back in the barn, Clark brushed it off as he normally did everything else concerning his emotions. He was more curious right now about how Chloe lived than hearing the loves' lane Oliver Queen had led Chloe down.

"No, Chloe. We can talk later, its fine," Clark answered with a dry swallow.

"Okay, then come on in. Looks like we're having Bart's Famous Chili!" Chloe said excitedly as she pushed the door closed when Clark finally came in.

"Yep, picked up the ingredients on the way home. You're staying for dinner, Clark," Oliver called as he stuffed the paper grocery sack into the trash below the sink, stating it as a fact rather than asking.

"Yes, he is," Chloe answered for him, leaving his side to shoo Oliver out of the kitchen. "I'll do this. Go on."

Oliver snatched two beers out of the fridge and joined Clark, handing one to him.

"I know it doesn't affect you, but you look like you could use one," Oliver said cracking his open with the bottle open he'd grabbed out of a drawer.

"Thanks," Clark replied, waving away the bottle opener and doing it himself and stuffing the cap into the pocket of his jeans. He chugged half the amber liquid down as he watched Chloe start chopping onions and tomatoes between browning the beef Oliver picked up at the Smallville Grocery. Connor and Kincaid finished setting the table and danced around Chloe in the kitchen, rambling on about their day while Shelby (was it his Shelby?) lay curled under one of the kitchen table chairs. Clark shook his head at the familial scene, hoping it was a mirage.

"Lets go sit down," Oliver suggested, still worried about the odd light in Clark's eyes.

"Sure," Clark said absently, watching Chloe sneak a slice of onion. He was careful not to grip the bottle too tightly.

"We'll be in the living room," Oliver nodded to Chloe.

"Sounds good," Chloe responded brightly, looking quickly up from listening intently to a story Connor was squawking at her. "I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Clark raised his eyebrows. He never would have believed it had he not seen it with his own eyes. Chloe, with her longish hair pulled back, an apron on that read Kiss the Cook in fancy, red piping standing in front of the stove with a cooking utensil in her hand and two young boys jabbering on at her while she nodded and gasped in all the right places. He followed Oliver gratefully into the family room, leaving this foreign and confusing Chloe.

This room had also not changed except for the big screen television mounted above the fire place and some pictures that now stood in place of his family portrait with his parents. Clark sat down beside Oliver, the old leather couch crinkling with familiarity. Clark took another swig of his Budweiser, wishing he could feel the lulling sense of an alcoholic buzz.

"How are you, man?" Oliver asked, hoping to draw Clark out. He couldn't imagine what was going through Clark's head at this moment. Oliver kept expecting to go flying across the room courtesy of a powerful punch from Clark for moving in on his territory.

"Not as good as I expected to be," Clark answered truthfully.

"Its a lot to take in, I bet," Oliver said, sipping from his own beer. He stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles.

"You could say that again," Clark muttered as finished off his beer in one swig.

Several attempts at conversation later, Oliver conceded defeat. Clark only answered in monosyllables and refused to be drawn into any discussion. The two men sat silently, Oliver still nursing his brewsky while Clark twirled his empty bottle in his hands. Finally, Oliver turned on the television and tuned it to a local news station. Clark saw the date on the bottom of his screen and it felt like a piece of Kryptonite dropped into the pit of his stomach.

September 27th, 2017. Eight years, three months and twelve days. He'd lost eight years of his life. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Chloe putting Connor and Kaid to work by lining up different spices she would add later. Clark didn't need to activate his super-hearing, he could the listen to to happy squabbling of Chloe and her two sons perfectly. A good-looking male anchor was prefacing a story about the escalating violence in inner-city schools of Metropolis when a gleeful shout echoed through the house. Oliver and Clark jerked their heads to the side to see Connor and Kaid rolling on the floor with Shelby while Chloe tickled them in turns. Clark had given up the illusion he would one day be a father when he realized there was no telling what would happen to the woman carrying his child, but watching the obvious joy on Chloe's face as she played with her kids Clark couldn't help feeling eight years weren't the only things he had lost to the his heritage.

Half an hour later, Chloe appeared in the doorway. "You boys about ready?" She asked, her signature grin spreading as her gaze landed first on Clark and then moved to Oliver.

"Let's eat!" Oliver exclaimed, shooting to his feet. "I'm starved." He cuffed Clark on the shoulder as he passed. Squaring his jaw, Clark followed the couple. The boys were already seated on one side, their backs to the bank of windows. Oliver guided Chloe into a chair at one end of the table before he took the one at the opposite end.

"Sit down, Clark," Chloe invited, patting the chair next to her. Clark slid into it, a bowl of steaming chili bubbling in front of him.

Clark picked a spoon and looked dubiously at the appetizing meal in front of him. It had been two-eight- years since he last had a home-cooked meal, since he'd had any of the delicious earth food he'd grown accustomed while he grew up here. And even though the yummy looking stew that sat in front of him tantalized his nostrils, it was made by his best friend, who when he left was allergic to anything that couldn't be cooked by microwave radiation.

"You cook now?" He questioned incredulously before he could stop himself.

Everyone else was shoveling the chili into their mouths and Chloe stopped her first spoonful midway to her own. "For a couple of years now. I've actually gotten quite good at it," Chloe answered with her normal self-deprecating laugh. Taking her lead, Clark dipped his spoon into the mess and took a bite. It was hot and spicy and heavy on his tongue. And it was surprisingly good.

Connor and Kaid made up most of the talk that went around the table. Chloe and Oliver took turns again trying to draw Clark into the conversation but neither one made much headway. Instead, Clark sat quietly in his chair, careful not to let their elbows touch. He listened as an outsider to the voices racketing around the table. It was an easy bond they all shared. He finished before everyone else and sat like a five year old with his arms crossed, wishing he could leave to the table without being rude, but felt it would be silly to asked to be excused.

"Do you want some more?" Chloe offered when she noticed Clark's empty bowl.

"No, thanks," Clark replied, setting his spoon inside his bowl, which was scraped clean.

"You didn't like it," Chloe said down-trodden. Clark met Chloe's eyes and saw a bald need for approval. For the chili? No, she wanted approval for her own life. The life she'd built with Oliver and around their kids. He wanted to deny her that. It would be Clark's ultimate revenge. How could he approve of the happiness she'd made herself with a man who wasn't him? He'd spent what he thought was two years re-playing in his head their night together. He'd practiced the speech he would make when he saw her, dreamed of the welcome he would receive. He'd discovered, instead, Oliver and Chloe playing a very convincing game of house. In his house!

"It was fine," Clark told her. "Just fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Its fine."

"Thanks," Chloe said with a grateful smile. "Boys? Are you done?"

"Hey, Ollie. Bring Your Dad to School Day is next month and they sent us home a paper to sign if you want to come. You want to come, right?" Kaid, the sullen twin as Clark had come to think of him, asked excitedly ignoring Chloe's question. Clark cocked his ears at the sound of Oliver's son calling him 'Ollie' but dismissed it. Oliver must be one of those parents who preferred a nickname to 'Dad' or 'Daddy'.

Oliver glanced across at Chloe nervously. "Uh, why don't you leave the paper on the counter and I'll see if it fits into my schedule."

"Great. Connor has one, too, but his class is having it on a different day," Kaid replied.

"Me and Kaid are in the second grade," Connor directed at Clark, bobbing his head like a doggie on a dashboard.

Clark smiled vaguely at Connor whose mouth was circled in chili. "Thats. . . Cool. You like school?"

"I do. Kaid doesn't. But he's always getting in trouble. Like yesterday-ow!" Connor stopped abruptly on a yelp. He looked over at his brother. Kaid glowered at Connor. All three adults didn't miss the exchange.

"Kincaid," Chloe said severely. "What do you not want your brother to tell us?"

"Nothing," Kaid muttered quietly, bowing his head down and staring at the bottom of his bowl.

"Kaid, your mother asked you a question. I suggest you answer her," Oliver joined sternly.

"Igotinafight," Kaid whispered, almost inaudibly.

"You did what?" Chloe asked her son sadly and with slight panic.

"I got in a fight," Kaid repeated clearly.

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"Because Mickey Cosgrove was making fun of him for liking the Green Arrow," Connor answered for his brother. "We were playing Superheroes at recess and Mickey said the Green Arrow wasn't a real superhero, just some idiot in green pantyhose like the ones his mom wears."

"Kaid," Oliver began quietly. Clark wondered if the boys knew about their father's secret identity. "You know the Green Arrow wouldn't like you fighting his battles for him. I'm sure he doesn't care what a little, snot-nosed-" Chloe cleared her throat. "I mean, I'm sure he doesn't care what Mickey thinks and neither should you."

"I know," Kaid replied in a small voice. "I'm sorry."

"Fighting is never the solution. I thought we taught you that," Chloe said, reaching out and grasping Kaid's little hand in hers. "You're going to do extra chores this week and no TV. Now," Chloe looked at the watch on her wrist. "I want the both of you to take your dishes to the sink and then upstairs for bed. I want to see your homework. Both of yours. I'll be up in a little bit."

"Yes ma'am." Both boys stood and carried their bowls to the sink and began to climb the stairs as a pair.

"And for the record," Oliver called out. Connor and Kaid turned to look at him. "The Green Arrow wears leather. Not pantyhose." With matching smiles, the boys proceeded upstairs, leaving the kitchen uncomfortably quiet after the laughter died. Chloe, Clark and Oliver could hear the boys above them, the stomp of their footsteps and the murmur of little voices. The three adults glanced sporadically at each other, not sure what to say to the others.

"You don't have a place to stay yet, do you?" Oliver asked Clark.

"No. I only got back a few hours ago. But I'll find someplace," Clark answered, taking the hint and pushing out of his chair.

"Are you kidding, Clark?" Chloe mimicked Clark's gesture of standing. "You'll stay here. I would send you to your old room, but the boys are in there. You can take my room, your mom's old room."

"No, really, thats okay, guys. I'll just let myself out." Clark placed his bowl in the sink, along with the others and made his way to the back door, preparing to end back out into the darkness.

"Clark, this is your house!" Chloe sprinted across the kitchen, placing herself between Clark and the door. "You have the right to stay wherever you want," Chloe told him snappishly, perching her hands on her hips. The sight of the familiar pose sent a sharp, jagged pierce of pain to his heart.

"Hey, look, you can come back with me to my loft in the city. None of the crew is going to there tonight. Bart might drop in to raid the fridge, but thats it. I"m sure he's gotten low on his food allowance for the week by now," Oliver interjected as he, too, stood and dug around in his pocket, coming up with a few platinum keys jingling on a matching key ring.

"Thanks, Oliver. I appreciate it," Clark said sincerely as he held out his hand for the keys to get a head start.

"Hold on a minute," Chloe jumped in. Looking over Clark's shoulder as Oliver, she spoke to him first. "Could you give us a moment?"

"Of course," Oliver agreed readily, stuffing his keys back in his pocket. "I'll go up and check on the boys." Oliver, too, disappeared up the stairs. Chloe looked back to Clark, an expression of barely leashed frustration, one Clark knew very well.

"I want you to stay here tonight," Chloe told him simply. "You'll take my room, Oliver will go to his loft and I'll take the couch. No." Chloe shook her head violently when Clark started to argue, little wisps of hair escaping her ponytail to feather around her face. "I want you here."

"Why, Chloe? I'll just go to Oliver's loft." I don't want to be here with you and and him.

"Because the last time you left me, you disappeared for eight years. Call me clingy, but I really don't want to let you out of my sight," Chloe explained honestly.

Breathing in and out deeply through his nose, Clark knew if he left tonight he would never return. There was nothing left for him again, just like when he left the first time. He could tell Chloe knew that, too, and was doing all she could to keep him from walking out that door a second time. But Clark didn't want to leave this time. He wanted to stay here with her, for the rest of his life.

"You're my BFF, Clark," she'd told him once. All Clark could hope was that their one night could last him for a lifetime, when he'd been the only one she wanted.

"Fine. But I'll stay on the couch until I find something more permanent," Clark gave in. When it came down to it, what had he really ever been able to deny her?

"Good," she replied with relief, a genuine smile gracing her face. "I'll go get you some pillows and blankets."

Several hours later, the farm house was dark and silent. But the minds of the occupants were far from peaceful.

Clark lay on the sofa in the family room, the TV on and muted, bathing the room in a bright, mechanical glow. He tossed and turned until finding himself on his back, staring up at the ceiling. In the room above, Chloe and Oliver resided. For the first time since returning, he screwed up his face in a mask of anger. That, this was all Jor-El's fault! He said two years! Why had Clark thought he could finally trust his biological father? Why? Beating his head against his pillow, just to lash out a something, Clark clenched his fists and stilled. This was useless. His anger, his resentment, all of it. Useless. What Clark really wanted to do was march up those stairs, drag Oliver out of that bed and throw him to the east coast. He would have done so, now. He'd come to grips with the reason why he'd lost out on so many good things in his life was his inability to take action. But two things stopped him. Connor and Kaid. He could change nothing. He could only move on. Chloe obviously had the moment he'd left.

Up in Clark's old room, Connor and Kaid whispered loudly in the dark about their house guest.

"Did you see how big his hands were?" Connor whispered in awe from his bottom bunk.

"So? Ollie's big, too. If they fought, Ollie would win," Kaid spat back at his brother, defending his second hero.

"Mom was happy to see him," Connor responded, still confused over what he saw in the barn. "Do you think he knows Uncle Bart and Uncle Victor?"

"Why do you care? I don't like him. I think he's a bad guy," Kaid told Connor confidently, leaning out over the rail of his top bunk, his blonde hair swishing from his head.

"He doesn't look like a bad guy," Connor countered. "I think I've seen him before somewhere."

"Neither does that bald guy Mom and Ollie talk about. You know the guy who is always in the Planet? Ollie said he was bad."

"Yeah, but even Ollie was glad to see Mr. Kent, so how bad can he be?"

"I don't know, but I think he is," Kaid state firmly.

"I think you're wrong. Mom and Ollie wouldn't have had him stay for dinner if he was," Connor defended, still mad at Kaid for kicking him under the table earlier.

"You're just a stupid baby," Kaid muttered as he flopped back onto his mattress, peeved at his twin for not blindly agreeing with him.

"I am not!" Connor shouted back.

"Shut up, Connor! You're gonna wake Mom and Ollie!"

"You're being really mean tonight," Connor whined before pulling his Metropolis Sharks bedspread up beneath his chin.

Listening intently from one room over, Chloe and Oliver lay side by side, stifling laughs at the two boys argument before falling asleep.

"He sure is paranoid," Oliver commented.

"Its our fault. We made him that way. Its getting harder to hide things from them. It will only get harder as they get older, Chloe said, turning over on her side to face a shirtless Oliver.

"Yeah," Oliver replied quietly. He lay face up with his hands behind his head. Something had been nagging at him since Clark had miraculously appeared in the barn. He felt Chloe's warmth pressing his side and took a deep breath. The two of them needed to address this new development. "Listen, Chloe. We never really discussed what would if Clark came back. If you want to-"

"I'm glad you decided to stay the night, Oliver. I hate the thought of you driving back to the city this late at night," Chloe interrupted, wanting to post-pone whatever discussion Oliver had in mind.

"Hear me out, Chloe," Oliver began. Chloe sat up so she could gaze down at his face. The moonlight slithered in through the sheer white curtains, outlining her from behind so all Oliver could see were her slim shoulders. "We've always been honest with each other. I understand if you and Clark want to pick up where you left off. I know how much you love him and I think its fair to say most of Clark's shock came form seeing us together than the amount of time he's been gone."

"He needs to find his place in the world again. He needs to come to terms with how long he's been gone. Clark doesn't need a ready-made family. Plus, we have the boys. They adore you and it wouldn't be healthy for any major changes right now," Chloe responded, running a hand along Oliver's lean bicep.

"Wait," Oliver pushed himself up on his elbows to face Chloe. "Are you not going to tell him?"

"Tell him what, Oliver?" Chloe asked innocently. She decided a long time ago, when she'd had no sign of Clark after three years that if he did in fact come back into her life, he wouldn't know about the boys. Oliver hopped off the bed and flicked on the lamp set on the night-stand, its warm yellow light warring with the pale blue moonlight. He stared down at Chloe. She sat on the bed, her blonde hair free and wavy with her legs tucked up under her. She was wearing on of his pajama tops an an unseen pair of boxers underneath. Her features were settled into a haughty indifference, the expression she wore when she was determined she'd made the right decision that no one else understood. Oliver trusted Chloe's judgment above anyone else's, but he had his doubts tonight.

Oliver joined her back on the bed, scooting close to her and taking her hands. "I don't want you keeping something this important from Clark out of some loyalty to me. He needs to know. You could all be a family. Finally."

"I don't want that," Chloe said simply.

"Yes, you do," Oliver replied. He couldn't believe Chloe was willing to keep something this big from Clark. "He has the right to know. Connor and Kincaid have the right to a real father. One who can help them as they grow and change. One who can share in the problems they are going to face as they mature. You and I both know their abilities are only going to get stronger and more difficult to handle. Clark is going to want to help with that. I lost my father way too young, Chloe. Do not inflict that on those innocent children just because-"

"He can not be weighed down by the thought of a family!" Chloe whispered heatedly. She yanked her hands away from Oliver, wanting to yell and slap. She hadn't had time herself to process Clark's return and the repercussions that would ensue. "His destiny is too great for that. Clark would never be able to be the hero the world needs if he was constantly worried about his family!"

"Chloe, you have to tell him those boys are his sons! As their father, he has the right to know!" Oliver exclaimed, jumping off the bed and reaching for his shirt that was thrown across the back of Chloe's vanity stool.

"Where are you going?" Chloe questioned as she clambered off the bed. She could just see Oliver marching down those stairs to oust her to Clark. "What do you think you're doing?"

Oliver's head popped out of the shirt collar. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he told her sharply, "I'm not going to tell him. You are. You can't lie to the guy, Chloe. He's your best friend."

"I can't," Chloe countered stubbornly.

"Why? He has a right to know!"

"I don't want him to want me only because of the boys!" Chloe cried. The tears she'd been fighting at odd times through the night flooded into her eyes. She crumpled to the floor and sobbed into the sleeve of her pajama top, desperately trying to cover the noises and not wake the rest of the house. Oliver abandoned getting dressed and knelt on the floor next to his girlfriend. Gently, as he had done so many years ago, he cupped her shoulder.

"Clark and I slept together before he left because we were both hurt and depressed and scared. If I hadn't gotten pregnant. . ." Chloe trailed off, gathering her thoughts. "When he came back, maybe we could have talked about being together. But now, with Connor and Kaid, I know he would do the 'right thing'. He would insist we get married and then he would be trapped in a marriage to a woman he really doesn't love. I couldn't bear that, Oliver. Clark deserves to be happy. I deserve to be happy."

"But Clark does love you," Oliver told her, gathering her into his arms and rocking her comfortingly.

"Not the way I want to be loved," Chloe resigned. "You knew the boys were his when we began dating. How does Clark coming back change anything now?"

"It changes everything. When I first met the two of you, I thought," Oliver halted. He had shared a lot with Chloe. She'd seen him at his absolute worst, she'd nursed him when he'd been wounded, she'd shared her family with him and allowed him to make one, although temporary, with her. "I thought, man, Clark is lucky. He's found that one person who he can be himself with completely. Who cares about him not because of what he can do for her, but simply because she does. I'm not going to stand between Clark and his destiny. No matter what you say, Chloe, that destiny includes you."

"I'm sorry, Oliver. This is never the conversation a man ever wants to have with the woman he's involved with romantically," Chloe muttered sardonically

"Chloe," Oliver breathed slowly, realizing she'd ignored every phrase he'd just uttered about her and Clark. He was going to get nowhere with her tonight. "They're your sons. This is your secret. If you don't want to tell Clark, then I will respect it. But I think you owe it to him."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The morning sun peeked over the horizon, chasing away the pale pink of dawn with shards of brunt orange. Oliver slept soundly beside her. Chloe, on the other hand, had never made it to sleep after the conversation her and Oliver had. She tossed and turned, weighing the options of telling Clark about Connor and Kincaid or keeping silent, allowing him to continue believing they were Oliver's. Everyone thought they were Oliver's. The Justice League, her Isis co-workers, Martha Kent. It had killed Chloe not to be able to tell the woman she had grand-children. The only ones who knew the true identity of the father were Lois, Oliver, Chloe and Bart. The boys knew Oliver wasn't their father, but he might as well have been.

It surprised Chloe when she delivered two toe-headed children. She'd been expecting shocks of black hair and delicately formed features. Instead, both her children were blonde headed and had her eyes. To the outside world, both boys looked like the perfect mixture of Oliver Queen and Chloe Sullivan. To Chloe, each little boy was a stunning reminder of their father. But then Chloe knew what to look for. The way Connor's eyes would laugh when he was trying to play a prank on her or the way Kaid's jaw would set in defiance when he didn't get his way. Chloe knew if Clark ever looked close enough at either one, he would see himself staring back. An uneasy knot formed in Chloe's stomach as she thought of Clark seeing a flash of himself in one of their sons.

Subtle looks weren't the only thing the three shared. There was a lot of sense in what Oliver had said last night. Clark would know how to help the boys through the obstacles they would face as they got older. Connor and Kaid were four when Chloe realized they had inherited their father's uncanny ability to break things effortlessly. Up until then, Chloe had assumed they were mostly human. Neither boy had shown any signs of having or developing any ability pre-fixed by a super. As babies they had ear infections, diaper rashes and the green Kryptonite Chloe had knocked out of the hall closet didn't seem to faze either one as they threw it between them in a game of catch at age three.

But when the boys were four, they contracted chicken pox in the Isis Employee Day Care Facility. Connor enjoyed spending the days at home with mama as she slathered him in ointment and taped oven mitts to his hands to prevent him from scratching. His twin brother, however, kept staring longingly outside. Chloe remembered leaving them for a second, to do what she didn't remember now. All she remembered was hearing a splintering crash and running frantically back into the living room to find Connor standing in the middle of the room staring at Kaid as he beat his fists against the wall in a tantrum, each blow denting the strudy material the house was built of.

As of now, both boys possessed super-strength, super-speed and the ability to drive their mother to distraction. Chloe was worried when she realized they were not vulnerable to Kryptonite. Though she would never willingly use that on her small boys, she wondered how she would be able to raise them properly or control them as they got stronger, by herself?

When the boys were six, the super-speed kicked in. Before that, all Chloe needed to worry about was the occasional broken chair or table. Mostly they were sent outside until they learned to control their strength, which they learned with help from Oliver. Somehow, both Chloe and Oliver imparted how dangerous and serious and special these abilities were. They were meant to be guarded carefully and only she and Ollie could know.

The day both her sons zoomed off from her in a rambunctious game of tag was a day Chloe would not soon forget. It was the only day she ever almost broke down and called Martha Kent, needing guidance and more importantly, a sympathetic ear. Oliver and Chloe searched for hours. Oliver brought in Bart and the rest of team to cover more ground. Bart was the one who found them. Chloe had paced the house, up and down, fiddling with the phone, each passing minute fighting the temptation to dial Martha's number at one-thirty in the morning. The phone rang in her hand. Connor and Kaid had been found, two counties over. They were scared and cold, but otherwise unharmed.

The rest of team were told the boys had wandered too far from home into the forest edging the south acerage of the Kent Farm. But Bart was not so easily dissuaded. Oliver and Chloe brought Bart into the inner sanctum. Chloe found it odd, but Bart had been a welcome added pillar of strength. Uncle Bart was the one who taught the boys to control their speed. He made special trips to see Connor and Kaid whenever he wasn't busy with League business and had become the boys favorite League member besides Oliver. Chloe often wondered how the little boys would react if they found out that their extended family were the heroes they so idolized.

It became apparent early on, Chloe would need to be a creative parent. Being the mother of two beings who were going to amass amazing powers without the strong hand of a Kent man along without any known weakness, was going to take cunning, brains and love. And then, heaven smiled down on her and took pity. Her boys, unfortunately, could still feel pain. Their skin was not invulnerable although they did heal quickly. Broken limbs were gone in hours, minor cuts and bruises virtually minutes. They had the super-strength and the super-speed, but it seemed they could still break. Could they stuff their arms down wood chippers as Clark had done once? No. Would they be able to stop bullets? Maybe later. By the day they were getting stronger and sturdier so the day may come when they would be completely unbreakable like their father, but thankfully for Chloe, that day had not arrived yet. The other weakness was odd. Night. The abilities lessened. If Connor and Kaid spent all day in the sun, then some of their power would last through the night. But if it was cloudy that day, once evening fell, they were as regular as two little full-blood earthlings. Like batteries with a severly short life span.

Short life spans were another worry. Human bodies were not made to handle the kind of stress these powers could and would extract. Jonathon Kent developed heart problems after possessing them for a period of time in Clark's youth. The boys had semi-yearly check ups with the Justice League doctor, Dr. Emil, who didn't see any long term complications. Since they were getting stronger all the time and were, as he put it since neither Chloe or Oliver would discuss paternity, half of whatever they were.

Thoughts, questions and memories all swirled together until Chloe wanted to scream. Her mind had never been so full! Even sharing her gray matter with Brainiac had never been as mentally draining as being a mother to Clark Kent's sons. Again, the draw of Mrs. Kent pulled at her heavily and it took all her will-power to stay in the bed next to a sleeping Oliver instead of yaking the senator's ear off for parenting advice.

Yes, telling Clark would ease the burden. Chloe knew one of these days she'd wake up to find a hot and bothered teen-age boy fighting the fire in his eyes. But then she remembered a day long ago when Clark lost his memory and she handled everything just fine. She was still firm in her opinion that Clark couldn't know. Oliver had valid points in his argument in favor of telling Clark, but so had she. Clark was meant for so much more than being just a soccer-dad. And Chloe knew if she told him, he would want to be involved and around to raise his kids. His great destiny would never be fulfilled and that was not an option for Chloe.

Chloe promised Oliver she would think about it and she had. She'd spent the past six hours turning it over and over and over in her mind. And as the sun rose, Chloe arrived at the same decision time after time. Clark couldn't know. The world needed him more than a single mother and her twin sons.

Leaning upwards, Chloe looked to her right. Oliver's alarm clock would go off in seven minutes, at six-thirty. With a huff, Chloe threw back the covers and left the bed. She might as well get up and get breakfast and coffee started. The boys would be up soon, too, and they would be ravenous.

A butter colored terry cloth robe hung on the back of the bedroom door. The house was slightly chilly and Chloe slipped into it gratefully. She also rummaged in the top shelf of her closet and found an old pair of house shoes which she tugged over the thick socks she wore. Cinching the robe tightly about her waist, Chloe sailed out of the bedroom. It was then the scent of coffee hit her. Clark was up.

Descending slowly down the kitchen stairs, Chloe stopped when she had a good view of the kitchen. Clark stood at the sink, his hands braced on the stainless steel. Shelby relaxed on his haunches close to Clark's legs while his tail thumped complacently against the kitchen mat as he stared up as his original master. Clark was watching the sun rise and Chloe wondered how long it had been since he'd seen one. Did the sun rise or set where he had been? Still dressed in the clothes Oliver had lent him, Chloe tried to ignore the racing of her heart as she took him in from his broad shoulders to his bare feet. The clothes were a shade small and were stretching in places they were never meant to stretch. They would never hang the same way on Oliver again.

"Good morning," Clark rumbled in greeting.

Chloe, startled, shrieked and tripped down the last four stairs into Clark's waiting strong arms.

"Thank you," Chloe said after Clark set her back on her feet.

"Are you trying to sneak up on me?" Clark teased, a slight grin on his face. He walked back to the cabinets and took down two coffee mugs.

"Its been a long time since I smelt coffee that I didn't brew. I had to see if it was an illusion or if I had an alien invasion in my kitchen," Chloe countered. She sat down and smiled as Clark set a mug in front of her and then filled it to the brim with the dark liquid. She would need to start breakfast, but right now all she wanted to do was sit and enjoy coffee she hadn't poured herself.

Replacing the carafe back on the heated plate, Clark joined Chloe at the kitchen table. Chloe was amazed that she wasn't tired from spending the night wide awake. Of course in a few hours she would be feeling the deprivation of sleep. Mentally viewing her appointment book, Chloe decided she could take today off and move everything back a few days. After dropping the boys off at school, she could come back and take a nap and then spend the rest of the day with Clark.

"Any special plans for today?" Chloe fished, wondering if Clark's plans coincided with her own.

"No, I was just going to hang out here today if you don't mind. I want to reacquaint myself with the world and what has happened since I've been gone," Clark answered, gazing at Chloe in the early morning sunlight. She was thirty, but she still looked like the young twenty-two year old woman Clark had left sleeping soundly. With the exception of the flattering itsy lines around her eyes and mouth, Chloe was the picture of youth. Clark was even surprised to see he had aged some as well in the bathroom mirror this morning. Doing a quick mental calculation, he realized Oliver was three years away from forty, but he as well, had aged nicely.

"Okay, well, I can help with that. I was planning on taking the day off so-"

"Chloe, you don't need to do that," Clark interrupted her. "I can get by on my own. I don't want to put you or Oliver out."

"Please, Clark!" Chloe exclaimed, grasping his hand that was closest to hers with affection. Clark reacted by squeezing back, lacing his fingers through hers intimately. "I have my best friend back! And I want to hear all about your training. If you want to tell me," she finished a little shakily, her mind centered on the feel of holding Clark's hand again.

"Chloe, you'll never believe-"

"Give it back, its mine!"

"No, its mine! Go find your own!"

"Ow!"

"Ow!"

The ceiling sounded as if it was about to cave in and Chloe jumped to her feet, fearing Clark was about to find out their secret when the floor above crashed to their feet from Connor and Kaid's fight.

"Sounds as if the morning is off to a great start!" Chloe yelled brightly over the noise as Clark continued to gaze up at the ceiling. Wishing she had super-speed, Chloe raced up the stairs to meet a wild-eyed Oliver emerging from a steamy bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his hips. Chloe pushed the door open and the two adults looked inside. The room was in shambles as Connor and Kaid rolled together on the floor, a lone The Flash! sneaker clutched in between their two hands.

"Hey!" Chloe shouted, bringing both boys to a halt. Connor and Kaid turned their eyes slowly to their mother, standing in the doorway, unmistakable anger broiling on her face. Neither boy could get the offending shoe away fast enough. Connor was up on his feet first, pointing at Kaid and whining, while Kaid was a little slower, but joined the finger pointing soon enough.

"Quiet!" Chloe's normal motherly voice rang out, harsh with the anger she felt at this silly little squabble. "Don't both of you have a pair of shoes like this?" She asked, bending to grab the red sneaker off the floor.

"Yes ma'am," Connor and Kaid answered meekly.

"Then I suggest instead of fighting over the one shoe, you work together to wade through this mess to find the other three," Chloe told her sons with quiet authority.

"You heard your mother," Oliver commented as the two boys continued to stand there, throwing glares at each other. Two blonde heads nodded slightly. "Then get to work."

"Yes sir," Connor and Kaid said in unison. The boys immediately began digging through their messy room. Chloe dropped the one shoe by the door and both Oliver and Chloe turned to find a stunned Clark standing at the head of the hallway.

"Everything okay?" He asked stiffly. Chloe and Oliver obviously were used to providing a united front, Clark thought as he had watched both admonish the boys. It was things like this that would be the hardest getting used to. Clark had learned long ago his life would never be normal. He'd come to grips last night he'd lost eight years of his life. He would begin today putting it back together. But the glimpes into the Queen family life were too much to wrap his head around right now.

"I'll be down in a little while," Oliver told both of them before heading back to the bathroom.

"I'll have breakfast ready when you're done," Chloe replied to his retreating back.

The next hour passed hurriedly as Chloe flew up and down the stairs, helping with last minute homework or finding one of Oliver's ties while cooking a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and toast. Clark offered to help but concluded it would be best just to stay out of her way.

"Totally routine," she threw at Clark as one of the twins yelled down about not being able to find his math book. It was barely leashed chaos and through it all, Chloe kept calm, her training in the bustling bullpen of the Daily Planet coming into play. At seven-forty-five, three blonde males marched downstairs to find plates heaped with food which they all inhaled. Clark sat amongst them, a little more talkative than the night before. He engaged both the boys, asking to be told about their teachers while Oliver and him discussed half-heartedly the possibility of the Sharks going to the play-offs that season.

"You're going to be late," Chloe sang to Oliver as he slurped the rest of the orange juice, spilling a tiny bit on the table.

"Nah, the CEO is never late, just detained," he replied, lugging his empty plate along with the twins', to the sink. Clark was still working on his breakfast, taking time since he had no where to be. "Come on, guys. I'm taking you to school today."

"Oliver, I got it. I just need to go change," Chloe stuttered, motioning at the stairs over her shoulder.

"No, I'm taking them. You two sit here, have coffee and enjoy breakfast. See ya tonight, Clark," Oliver directed at him, again, in the tone that left no argument.

"Sure. Thanks, Oliver," Clark replied, mustering up a smile.

"I'm just glad to have you back," Oliver said sincerely, laying a manly hand upon one of Clark's broad shoulders. "Connor! Kaid! Move out!" He herded the boys out after they kissed Chloe good-bye.

"See ya later, Clark!" Connor shouted happily as he sprinted out the door.

"What happened to Mr. Kent?" Clark snorted as the back door slammed shut behind them all.

"Ahhh," Chloe sighed as she lowered herself back into a kitchen chair. "He takes after us. If we don't call you Mr. Kent in front of him, he'll lapse out of his manners."

"Sounds like his father," Clark chided, remembering how quickly familiar he and Oliver became shortly after meeting.

Chloe's breath caught and she replied quietly, "Yeah, he is. More like him than you know. More coffee?"

* * *

Chloe couldn't think of any place she would rather be than sitting here at the kitchen table, still in her pajamas, sipping the coffee Clark continued to pour for them as she listened to him relive his travels for her. He reckoned he'd been to about every planet there was known to man along with a few that weren't. Half of his time had been spent in the illuminated vortex Chloe had found him in when they were eighteen, learning other languages and dialects, history from other civilizations, maths, sciences; anything you could ever hope to know. Other times, Jor-El would direct him to crystals hidden around the galaxies for him to retrieve. These held special volumes of knowledge he would only understand after he completed whatever task it took to get the crystal. Those times, a beam would shoot out and download him with the information. His second and final half of training had been more hands-on.

In detail, Clark narrated his last mission, his trip to Catyhpa, the planet with no sun but a blue star and his harrowing return to the Fortress.

"I just can't believe it," Chloe murmured when Clark seemed to have finished.

"I know. It was almost too much for me at times," Clark replied, getting up to make a third pot of coffee.

"No," Chloe countered. She joined him at the counter, mirroring his position; arms folded, hips leaning against the wood. "That you seem like he same person who left. I mean, you're much more confident and prepared, but I can still see my best friend in there. The bumbling farm boy who couldn't walk five feet without tripping," she concluded with a nostalgic smile. Although, now she knew Clark never reallytripped.

Chloe laid a palm against Clark's solid chest, over his heart and patted him gently. "You have no idea how glad I am to see that man."

Clark took her wrist in both hands, his fingers outlining her dainty bones. Why hadn't she waited for him? Clark could deal with the thought of her and Oliver being together now. He was gone longer than he expected and Clark would have never forgiven himself if she had put her life on hold that long. But they were a family. Their boys were seven! When exactly had Chloe given up on him? The silence stretched as Clark continued fingering her hand, longing to ask her all these questions. Instead, he switched subjects.

"So what have you been doing while I was gone? I know about the mom thing, which by the way, can I say how unexpected that was?"

Chloe laughed with relief. She's seen the questions in his eyes, knew all the answers he wanted about Oliver and the boys. How grateful she was he restrained himself. "I know. They were unexpected for me, too. But those two tornadoes are the best things I've ever done in my life."

"You still work for Isis?" Clark asked, non-chalantly dropping her hand, the emotion between the two of them draining into the familiar camaraderie.

"Yes," Chloe answered bracingly. She flexed her hand, stuffing it in the pocket of her robe to ward of the chill. "I head up the foundation now. Lana stepped down a few years ago," Chloe told him hesitantly, gaging his facial features when she mentioned Lana, old habits dying hard.

To her surprise, Clark remained perfectly non-plussed. "Really? I thought she gave you control a long time ago?"

"She did. But it was made official about six years ago. You'll have to come visit me sometime and see what I've done with the place. We bought the entire building back in 2011, so we're not just one floor anymore. I'm very proud of it."

"Do you still moon-light?" Clark asked, eying her carefully. In the weeks and months leading up to his departing for the Fortress, Chloe had spent a good time setting up shop in a magnificent building Jimmy bought her as a wedding gift to her. Never being able to bring herself to sell it, Chloe donated it to the use of the Justice League and had christened it 'Watchtower' where most of the proceedings were held.

"I do," Chloe answered smugly. Clark had never been in favor of her joining in with 'his kind' as he put it occasionally when she'd first begun. "Isis is just my cover. My day job. Night falls and I slip into my black pleather and sky-high stiletto boots and go fight the big and bad of Metropolis." At Clark's horrified look, she giggled. "Seriously, Clark! I'm just tech support. Dinah has been the only target to attack me and that was pre-Justice League. The gang doesn't let anyone get near me. Or vice versa."

A few hours later, Clark sat on a bar stool, surveying what he could see of the house. "Nothing has changed," he marveled.

"What did you expect? Futuristic furniture and robotic maids?" Chloe teased, looking up at Clark from the kitchen hardwood floor where she was seating Indian style.

"I didn't expect to be gone eight years. If I had known, I would have expected a lot of changes, but you've kept everything the same. Even most of the dishes are the same," Clark remarked, spying his father's chipped cowboy mug in the drainer.

"I didn't want to change anything," Chloe explained as she unfolded her legs. "I practically grew up in this house myself. I like everything the way it is. It's home."

"Hey, want to go for a walk?" Clark suggested.

Chloe's eyes lit up. "Sure, let me change! You want to borrow something of Oliver's again? I didn't get a chance to throw any of your arctic ware in the wash."

"Nah, I'll run into town and pick up some things while you change."

"With what, Clark? Have you been collecting a paycheck from Jor-El these past years? Let me give you something." Clark slid off the stool and held a hand out to Chloe, his foot catching the tie of her robe. Pulling Chloe to her feet, the knot at her waist came undone, revealing her pajama top tucked partially into a pair of red boxers. Chloe padded over to a battered old Folgers coffee can and fished out a wadded up twenty. "Go buy yourself something pretty.

Clark nodded dumbly, his eyes glued to the baggy boxers riding low on her hips, as he took the twenty from her out-stretched hand. He was sure if he could find the tag, he would find a crude C.K. marked in black sharpie.

"Meet ya back down here?" Chloe waved and ran upstairs. Ten minutes later, Chloe and Clark met back downstairs, both dressed in jeans, work boots and light cotton t-shirts.

"Blue is still your color I see," Chloe quipped while leading him around the barn and the loft, which had been rearranged to allow more floor space. They then made their way out onto the land with Shelby prancing happily ahead of them, tail swishing in the soft wind. Clark drank in the sight of the rich land he'd grown up on and worked with his father. He had missed the farm so much, with its wide open fields and timeless days. Shelby halted in the bird dog pose when he heard something off in the distance. Clark sharpened his own hearing as Shelby took off after the rustling of some forest creature, bounding high along the tall grass.

"Chloe, is that my Shelby?"

"Yeah. I'm glad he still remembers you," Chloe answered with a smile as she, too, watched Shelby disappear into the brush.

"What happened to him? He looks. . . Almost new," Clark replied. When he'd left Shelby in Chloe's capable and loving hands, his furry friend had been a little rough around the edges and worse for wear.

"Well, we found out that his joints were rapidly deteriorating. A procedure could be done to reverse this but it was highly complicated and the recovery time was a concern because of Shelby's age. The vet told me to either put him down or let him finish out his days at home and he could prescribe him something for the pain," Chloe began.

"You did all that," Clark said, referring to the surgery. "Just to keep him around a little longer?" Clark knew Chloe didn't like to give up but what she had just imparted seemed quite extreme. Even if it was for Shelby.

"No. We tried some of left over healing serum Oliver experimented with that time."

"But that had some not so healthy aggressive tendencies attached to it," Clark responded worriedly. When he'd first got Shelby the poor dog had been juiced with some kind Kryptonite induced steroid that gave a new definition to 'Roid Rage'. The side effects were quite similar to what he'd seen in Oliver when he tried out his own miracle healing serum while patrolling the streets.

"We added enough serotonin to counteract whatever chemical instigates the heightened levels of testosterone. The next day, he was running and jumping and playing like he was a puppy again. The x-rays were clear and he was in perfect condition once again."

"Chloe. . . You did all that. . . For a dog?" Clark glanced over at her, a sheepish smile on her face at the lengths she'd gone to, to preserve Shelby.

"I did it for your dog," Chloe answered quietly. When Clark didn't respond, Chloe continued. "So I went a little psycho with the dog rescue, but it was worth it since he hasn't been in pain or sick for the past three years."

Clark swung a friendly arm around Chloe's shoulders, loving that she went to so much trouble to save something she felt was very special to him. On the heels of his glow of affection came the thought of his blonde replacement, dampening whatever warmth was suffusing his insides. His arms remained on her shoulders for a few seconds before he brought it back to swing at his side.

"You know, I got rid of the rest of our herd when I went to work at the Planet. Where did all these come from?" Clark asked, motioning to the placid, cod-chewing black and red Angus milling around as he and Chloe walked the length of the pasture.

"They belong to the Hubbards'," Chloe told him. "Ben was injured a couple of years ago when his cattle stampeded. He walks with a cane now and the weather really bothers him. His son, Marcus, took over and has become the New Kansas Cattle King. Marcus wanted to buy it, but your mom and I didn't want to let your family's legacy go. He pastures some of his overflow here for a legal donations to Senator Kent's Campaign Fund and allowing a couple of underage cow hands to help him out."

"Connor and Kaid?"

"And me from time to time."

"You feed cattle?" Clark asked in disbelief. It was like the city girl Chloe fought so hard to be seen as when they were younger wasn't even there anymore. What else did she do now, he wondered?

"Yes, I do," Chloe answered indignantly as Clark and her strolled along the long wooden fence that separated the Kent land from the Hubbard. "I feed cattle, I groom the horses and I take care of the chickens. Connor and Kaid take care of your mom's garden. Looks like I can be domesticated."

"How is my mother?" Clark wondered aloud. What his mother must think. He would need to go see her as as he could.

"Martha's Martha," Chloe sighed. Clark raised his eyes at hearing Chloe refer to his mother by her given name. "She actually was approached by the party to run for President in these past two elections but she didn't want to. She says she feels her place is with the people, making sure their views and opinions are heard by the Senate. We're all very proud of your mother."

"Does she think I am. . ." Clark let his voice trail off.

"None of us wanted to think that, Clark. For the first few years we kept telling each other you were just missing, but as time went on, it got harder to dismiss," Chloe replied, fighting the instant lump in her throat as she thought of the few years after Clark's estimated return came and went. She reached over and took his hand, needing the physical reassurance he was real. The tall wheat grass brushed their thighs, creating a musical whisper that harmonized with the call of the birds and cattle. "When people started to ask questions, your mom and I came up with the story you were working with the orphans of Ethiopia or some other war ravaged country. For all we knew, you might have been. When are you going to see her?"

"I thought probably tomorrow. I'll call her tonight, let her know I'm back so I don't give her a heart attack when I show up. Anything surprising about her I need to know?" Clark questioned Chloe cautiously.

"Not that I know of. Still the same Mrs. Kent," Chloe laughed, knowing Clark was scared of change more now than ever.

Silence fell upon them as Chloe and Clark continued to walk, hand in hand. They circled the same path they use to walk as kids; talking when they were teenagers about the colleges they planned on attending and then later, Chloe the supportive listener as Clark poured out his frustration of being a super-ordinary person. To his side, Chloe snuck another glance as his profile that was silhouetted by the setting sun. Time was a funny thing, she mused. For two years she waited with bated breath. Every time Bart would flash into her office or Victor would throw open a door on a mission, Chloe's heart did a little blip. Now-

"Hey, someone's here," Clark pointed out. A red, very expensive looking sports car could be seen parked a few feet from the house as Clark and Chloe approached.

Chloe glanced at her watch. "It's just Lois with the boys. She picks them up on her half days at the Planet and takes them for ice cream. It's her cool 'Aunt' thing to do. You know what," Chloe started, grabbing Clark's shirt front with her free hand and pulling him to a sudden stop. "Lois doesn't know you're back and it might create some awkward questions, so why don't you zip on outta here until I tell her," Chloe suggested hurriedly.

"Too late," Clark replied.

"Why?"

"Because she's seen me and is heading this way. Why does she look so angry? Hi, Lois," Clark greeted. With his quick eyes, he saw her shoulder hitch backward and moved his face just in time to receive her her slap convincingly.

"Lois!" Chloe cried, shocked at her cousin's unprovoked assault.

"That is for making my cousin cry, you low-down, one-night-stand Casanova!" Lois pulled her arm again and slapped the other cheek before Chloe jumped on her, holding her arms down at her sides. "And that is for being a dead-beat-"

"Lois!" Chloe screamed, drowning out the end of her sentence as she struggled to keep Lois immobile.

But even if her arms were restrained, her mouth was not. Lois continued her rant, her eyes flashing with anger as Clark stood looking at her as if she'd gone rabid, his mouth agape. "You think you can com crawling back here after eight years? Did you think she'd still be waiting for you? I never thought that you, of all people, would behave in such a disgusting way toward a woman who gave you everything!"

Finally, Chloe got a good grip on one of Lois' arms and drug her backwards. Roughly and with difficulty, tossed her a few feet away from her.

"Get a grip!" Chloe hissed. "You wanna give us a minute?" She directed at Clark. Not having to be told twice, Clark took his escape clause and jogged the last few yards to the porch where the twins were peeking around the corner, watching their aunt go ballistic.

"Come on, guys. In the house," Clark said, taking both boys by the shoulder.

Chloe turned back to her cousin. "Okay, I can understand where my hostility would come from, but the what the hell were you thinking going all Mrs. Rambo?"

"So you're telling me that whenever the Heartbreak Kid showed up on your doorstep today, you gave him the boot? Because it looked to me like your boots and his boots were doing the two-step!" Lois exclaimed, pushing her red (this week) mane off her neck.

"Look, Lois, let me handle this. I can take care of myself-"

"Not when it comes to Clark Kent, you can't. You've never been able to say no to those Crest White Strips!"

"Please, Lois. If I've told you once, I've told you one hundred-thousand times. I seduced him! Clark Kent did not lure me into bed with sweet words and unkept promises. We both knew he was leaving the next morning. It was a consensual one night stand!"

"Yeah," Lois agreed, hands going to hips in the staple Sullivan-Lane fashion. "A one night stand with seven year old consequences."

"Consequences I said I could handle. I think you need to leave, Lois. I can't take the chance of you slipping and saying something-"

"Hold up there one momento, Mary the Martyr. He doesn't know?"

"He never knew!" Chloe cried, shaking her hands over her head to emphasize the loving frustration Lois inspired within her. "I never told him. He didn't know eight years ago and he doesn't know now."

"But-"

"No, Lois. You assumed. And I let you," Chloe said with defeat, rubbing her right temple where a migraine was beginning to throb.

"I'm sorry, Chloe, I'm sorry," Lois apologized quickly, noticing the tell-tale beginning of one of Chloe's stress related headaches. She's getting those too often, Lois thought. She pulled her baby cousin into a strong, sisterly embrace. "How did you let this become so complicated?"

Chloe snorted into Lois' designer clad shoulder. "When has anything not been complicated for me?"

Lois rubbed Chloe's back. She had always been there to protect Chloe. When they were little, Lois had always been the bully who punched the little twerp who made Chloe cry. When they were pre-teens, she was the one who punched Rawley Parker for telling the whole camp that Chloe was wearing her first bra and made her cry. When they were teenagers, she was the one who threatened Clark Kent she would break his legs if he broke her cousin's heart. Chloe's heart had been broken more times than Lois could count and yet Chloe kept giving it away! Little by little, her heart was shrinking and Lois was scared this final bought with Clark would cause it to vanish for good. And Lois couldn't protect Chloe from a broken heart, no matter how hard she tried or how hard she punched.

"I'm so sorry," Lois told Chloe again.

"It's okay, Lois," Chloe replied, pulling back from her cousin's hug. "But it's not me you need to apologize to." Chloe bit back a laugh as she regarded Lois' disgusted face.

"Ah, don't make me," Lois whined, dropping her arms and kicking back on a high heel.

"Don't you want to stay for dinner?" Chloe asked. She highly suspected this was the only meal Lois ate once a week that didn't come wrapped in plastic or from a cup.

"That's not fair! Thursdays are always Family Dinner Night!"

"Then you have to apologize. Clark's family," Chloe said with a shrug. She hugged Lois one more time and then made her way back to the house.

Lois stood for a full second before yelling, "Fine!" and scampering to catch up with Chloe. "I'll apologize. But you and I, missy, are going to have a long chat tonight."

"Between you and Oliver I'm going to have my ears talked off!"

"What does Oliver think about all this?" Lois asked, Chloe and her halting outside the kitchen door.

"Later," Chloe whispered when the door opened magically before them and Clark stood on the other side, having been watching them from window. Chloe, for a split second, worried he'd been eavesdropping, a nasty habit he'd picked up back in their younger, reporting days. When Clark gazed warily at Lois, she knew he'd obviously been refraining. Or helping the boys with their math homework, seeing books and papers spread across the kitchen table, Connor and Kaid chewing on the ends of their pencils.

"I think I got it, Clark!" Connor cried happily.

"Let me see, Buddy," replied Clark as he hunkered down next to the little boy to look at some scribbled work. Chloe's heart did another funny blip. If this kept up, she'd have an irregular heart beat in no time.

"Whatcha working on?" Chloe asked her sons, both her and Lois taking the seats opposite the boys.

"Long division. I don't remember covering that in second grade," Clark answered, still carefully checking Connor's work as the little boy squirmed in his chair.

"No, Connor and Kaid are in a special class for the gifted," Chloe told him, a motherly pride coating her words. "They'll be able to skip third grade next year, but I haven't decided if that would be a good idea yet."

"Aw, Mom, no!" Kaid whined, taking a time out from peering over Clark's broad shoulder at his brother's work. "All of our friends-"

"I haven't made up my mind yet," Chloe cajoled him.

"Hey, kiddo, I skipped the third grade. You're not missing much," Lois quipped as she slipped off her heels and kicked them under the table.

Chloe growled as she stooped and picked up the heels to put them somewhere that wasn't in the way. "You skipped third grade because the General had you schooled on the base and you somehow snuck into the fifth grade class to make goo-goo eyes at Mason Barker."

"Still, I skipped it, didn't I?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "So, how is work?"

"Argh," Lois groaned, flopping her head face down on the table top dramatically. Clark peered at her through unsympathetic eyes before returning his attention to the boys. "Well, the Chief found out I spent a semester of my senior year here and who arranged my late admission to Met U, so I've been handed the expose for Lughead Luthor the paper has planned on a platter."

"Luthor?" Clark's head snapped up. "I thought he was dead."

"Come on, Clark. Did they not have news under whatever rock you crawled under? 'Allegedly dead'," Lois corrected. "He was found about four and half years ago, unconscious and hog-tied on the steps of the District Attorney's office, a note attached to him by a green arrow naming him a gift to the city. Turns out Dr. Frankenstein was found in a little village in the Russian Tundra conducting unauthorized experiments on humans with money embezzled from Queen Industries after they absorbed LuthorCorp. He was tried for Crimes Against Humanity and is now serving multiple life sentences."

"I'll explain later," Chloe whispered, seeing the almost terrified look in Clark's eyes. He no doubt believed this Lex was the same one who lured him to the Fortress and knew his true identity. She tried to assure him with her eyes but it did no good. Of all nights for it to be Family Dinner Night, Chloe thought with irritation.

An hour later, Chloe began making dinner. Connor and Kaid finished their homework at a record-speed, thanks to a lot of help from their 'Uncle Clark'. Lois eyed Chloe, wondering if, she too, caught the irony of Clark allowing the boys to call him uncle. After checking their work, Clark suggested they go outside and show him the chores they did.

"Are you three going to have time to get it all finished before dinner?" Chloe asked pointedly hoping to provide a gentle reminder to her sons to be discreet. Clark thought it was only meant for him.

"Yeah, Oliver should be here in a minute. He can help," Clark replied as he listened to the sound of Oliver's tires speeding down the country road toward them. So Connor, Kaid and Clark tramped out the door.

Lois poured herself a glass of red wine with a cookbook open in front of her, flipping through the pages and suggesting dishes they could try in the coming weeks. While Chloe was cubing up uncooked chicken breasts, Lois sidled over to her and Chloe knew the moment for their 'chat' had arrived.

"Why did you never tell Clark you were pregnant?" Lois jumped in, gulping down the last inch of her wine and pouring some more.

"Lois, no offense, I love you, but that is none of your business. I had my reasons," Chloe stated. She threw the chicken into a cast iron skillet drenched in olive oil where it sizzled deliciously.

"Okay," Lois breathed patiently. " Are you going to tell Clark about them now?"

"I haven't decided yet. Oliver wants me to, but I'm not sure I should," Chloe answered, moving the chicken around with a wooden paddle.

"I think Oliver is right," Lois countered, knocking back another swallow of wine. "How can you not tell him, Chlo? You two were best friends and those are his sons! I can't understand why you wouldn't tell him. Especially if Oliver thinks you should."

"Lois, it's more complicated than the matter of paternity. The boys are close to Oliver, they think of him as their father even if they know he's not their biological one. I'm still thinking about it," Chloe replied with a smile toward her cousin who sat perched on the island with her legs crossed in her Ralph Lauren trousers.

Swishing around the wine in her glass, Lois observed her cousin's back. There was something Chloe wasn't telling her. Lois always assumed that if Clark would return, even if Chloe and Oliver were doing the nasty, she would still give Clark credit for her awesome nephews. Lois, switching into reporter mode, asked a different question. One she would hope would lead them back to the original subject. "So when did the Prodigal Son of Smallville return?"

"He got back last night," Chloe answered vaguely.

Lois stared at Chloe for a second or two, waiting for her to go on. She shook her head. Duh! Chloe was the one who invented the 'Misdirection Tactic'. "Is that all?"

"Yep," Chloe nodded, also aware of what Lois was trying to needle out of her. "Decided to come home."

"I know there is something you're not telling me-" Lois said again, in a last ditch effort.

"Lois-"

"Chloe," said Lois shortly, hopping off the bar. "I get that you and Clark have secrets that only the two of you know about each other. I've been the one every time who picks up the pieces after Clark does the Heart Hoe Down. Ever since you were fourteen, you've allowed Clark to worm himself back inside the apple of you eye and every time you end up with your face in a puddle of Ben &amp; Jerry's. But he is the father of your children. Give credit where credit is due," Lois finished seriously, looking intently at Chloe. "You're chicken is burning."

* * *

"I thought I might find you up here."

Clark turned at the sound of Chloe's voice as she crested the stairs to the loft where Clark sat alone in the moonlight. Chloe felt her way over to the string of old timey lights bordering the open window and pushed the plug into the electrical socket. Shadowy light filled the loft from the twinkle bulbs hung around the ceiling of the barn. Chloe joined Clark on the sofa, a tattered book held in her hands.

"Afraid I'd pulled another disappearing act to the Fortress again?" Clark asked, scooting over to the end, giving Chloe more room as she crossed her legs and faced him.

"Not exactly since I still have your vanishing cabinet," Chloe replied, tapping the book between them with a trimmed and polished nail. "I know it's not the only way to travel, but. . ."

"Thanks," Clark said. He opened the book and touched the key within. It warmed as if it recognized him. Clark closed the book with a snap.

"I remembered it this morning when you mentioned wanting to go to the caves. Sorry we didn't get a chance to go have a look around," Chloe apologized.

"It's okay," Clark replied. "I can go by tomorrow on my way to see my mom."

"Did you get a hold of her?"

"No. She didn't answer the two numbers you gave me, but I got a hold of her aide and he said she has some down time tomorrow that he'd put me in for. Its in the morning, so I'll spend the rest of the afternoon poking around the caves."

Chloe opened her mouth to say something but Clark beat her to the punch. "I won't be making any unscheduled stops in the arctic so you don't need to worry."

"Is it that obvious?" Chloe smiled softly as she ducked her head. Clark could tell she'd showered recently. Her skin was dewy looking with a satin sheen thanks to the nice smelling lotion she rubbed on afterwards. Initially, Clark had thought Chloe's hair was only a couple of inches longer than before, but now he saw it was damp and wavy, long past her shoulder blades. She looked soft and cuddly. Usually years spent climbing the corporate ladder or being in life and death situations on a daily basis hardened one. It certainly had Lois, who was even more hard-nosed and foul-mouthed than when he left. But not Chloe. The years or possibly motherhood, had softened her instead. If Clark looked close enough, he could see the young fourteen year old girl who would cry at Hallmark commercials when she thought he wasn't looking or get all giggly over a fat puppy. Or the girl who would make cow eyes at him when his back was turned.

"I'm glad," Clark responded, laying an arm along the back of the couch.

Chloe turned her head to the side, careful not look Clark in the eye. "I really missed you, Clark."

Clark bit back a sharp retort, the warmth of the moment being cooled by a splash of reality. He could see she'd really missed him. Move on, Kent. How many times had Chloe been shelved for Lana? Maybe this dish of irony was being served cold for a reason. Clark Kent finally felt what Chloe had felt all those years ago. Every almost gesture and unspoken words caused a sarcastic smile to blossom on Clark's face.

"What's that look for?" Chloe questioned, not missing the subtle shift in Clark's temperament.

"Nothing," Clark brushed off. "You don't have to keep me company. I know you've got a full house."

"Actually, Lois and Oliver left about thirty minutes ago and I have already put the boys to bed so I'm all yours." Chloe immediately regretted her choice of words and shifted with unease.

"Where did Oliver go?"

"He had some work he needed to finish up at the loft so he offered the drive Lois home. She had a tad bit over the legal limit."

"Works hard, plays harder. Same old Lois. By the way, the apology you coached her through was very touching. I take it she knows about. . ." Clark trailed off, his boyish modesty asserting itself.

"You should know better than anyone Lois always gets her story," muttered Chloe more to herself than Clark.

"Speaking of Lois and stories," Clark began. "Were you planning on telling me about the return of Lex?"

"As a matter of fact, that was the other side of the two fold reason for tracking you down tonight." Chloe pulled her legs up. They were encased in fleece pants and her feet were stuffed into her ratty bunny slippers. She tucked her legs under her in a side saddle position. "The Lex Luthor that came back is not the one who brought your ice castle crashing down around you. Neither was he the same man who got blown to bits by Oliver's toy monkey bomb."

"Then who was it? A clone?" Clark asked in jest.

"Yes."

"Chloe, seriously, I need to know-"

"I am being serious, Clark. Lana and Wes were not the only prototypes Lex was working on. Like any intelligent, morally twisted, evil dictator he was making decoys. A decoy he sent in his place to destroy the Fortress and whoever the Traveler was when he showed up."

Clark mulled that over. It made sense. Lex would never willing sacrifice himself. "But what about the Prometheus suit? He needed that to survive after he was lost in the north pole. If he was a clone-"

"Lex hired one of the most scientifically advanced technologists in the world to implant TLEX6N and turn him into a walking surveillance system. But his stint in the northern exposure severely damaged the hardware beyond repair so Lex had no way of downloading the information off him or Tess Mercer. He was totally unaware of his clone's activities after he went off-line when he walked out of range and into the Fortress. The clone had one directive, though. Return to Lex Luthor unharmed. When he was created, he was created with all of Lex's current and past knowledge of all his Luthorcorp projects and memories. TLEX6N chose the Prometheus project to achieve his purpose, until Lana beat him to it. So, Oliver didn't murder Lex, he just fried a highly expensive spy-bot."

Clark sagged against the ratty old sofa in relief. When Oliver came clean on what he'd done to Lex, Clark was furious. Nothing warranted taking a human life. Even if Lex knew his secret the worst thing he'd done so far was orchestrate Lana and Clark's fateful parting. And then when Doomsday made his bloody appearance, all things that did not concern Chloe and her safety flew from Clark's mind. Oliver and his team banded together once more to help Clark bury Doomsday in the ground and send Davis on to a better life without his bone-protruding alter ego. After Doomsday was eradicated, Oliver and Clark ended the cold war and began the road back to a tenuous peace. But as life settled back into an uncharacteristically quiet routine on the farm and at the Planet, Clark could no longer bury his heartache in work. That was when he decided to leave. Thoughts of Lex's murder were never farther from his mind.

But tonight, when Lois off-handedly threw out the Luthor name, all of Clark's old insecurities came rushing back, making him feel half his age. Back to when Lex was knee deep in his 'The Mystery of Clark Kent' obsession.

"How do you know all this? It sounds as if you stole the exclusive interview right from under Lois," Clark quipped.

"Well, lets just say one of Lex's closest bosom buddies decided to throw his boss to the wolves for a shortened jail sentence. Gave evidence of all Lex's proceedings before and after his trip down the rabbit hole and into the Russian oblivion," Chloe told him.

"How did Oliver track him down? We all thought Lex was dead and scattered."

"Oliver hired forensic accountants to comb through the company accounts to find any proof of an inside hit that was performed on Tess Mercer six or seven years ago," Chloe explained.

"Tess? She was murdered?" Clark cut in, almost unable to believe Tess had met her end at the business end of a barrel. It seemed so. . . Common.

"Lois found her," Chloe continued softly. "She was at her office in the Planet. She'd been shot twice in the chest at close range with a small caliber pistol."

"Why did Oliver think it was someone inside the company?"

"I don't know. There were a lot of board members who were still very resentful of the coop she and Oliver pulled in 2009. He took her death really hard. For about two or three years he couldn't think of anything else. It was hard on all of us to see him spiraling out of control again. And then one day he stormed into Watchtower raving on about how he had tracked Lex down to some Russian prison in the middle of nowhere."

"What was he doing in a Russian prison?" Clark asked.

"It was a political prison. He was working for a radical political group trying to overthrow the government. For his own personal gain, of course."

"And Russia is home to one of the biggest nuclear arsenals known to man. Yeah, sounds like Lex," Clark responded, shaking his head like a drained parent. "Oliver found him just with forensic accountants?"

"I told you Tess' murdered consumed a few years of his life. He found money being laundered from over seven different accounts, little by little. He tracked the transactions across the globe until they finally settled down in a business account for a French art dealer who was fronting for the Russian political group called Black Sky. So the League made a trip over to the Kremlin and that was that," Chloe finished.

"What exactly was he working on?" Clark questioned. It was like they were going back in time to when she'd fill him in before he went and knocked the bad guys out. Except this time, Lex was already taken care of.

"Oliver and Victor saw, but they would never talk about it. Even today, neither one will go into detail of what was in the lab they dragged Lex from."

The newspaper and all reports only said 'Illegal Human Experimentation'. I don't think I even want to know what Dr. Evil was doing down there," Chloe answered with a shiver, visibly upset by what might or might not have been the subjects of Lex's House of Horrors.

"Come here." Clark reached out and grasped Chloe's arm, pulling her the remainder of inches between them to lean against him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Chloe settled down next to him, her head nestled on his chest.

"I really did miss you, Clark," Chloe said again. Clark's hand was splayed on his thigh. At his silence, Chloe lifted the big hand and began toying with his blunt fingers. She'd always loved his hands. Clark's hand holding hers at the Talon. Clark's hand wiping away her tears at the Torch. Clark's hand caressing her arm at the Planet. Clark's hands framing her waist. . .

"I missed you too."

Chloe moved her head upward, gazing at him as he gazed down at her. And before Chloe could stop herself, she slid a hand behind Clark's neck and pulled him down.

Chloe pressed her lips to his, wondering how the hell she was stuck between two men again! She felt Clark hold back but finally melt against her, turning her more into him and hooking her legs over his lap, kneading her thigh through the soft pants.

The loneliness each had felt at the other's absence poured into the other, causing things to escalate quickly between Clark and Chloe until the what and who of why they shouldn't be doing this disappeared from thought. Clark braced his hands on Chloe's back as he shifted her and laid her back on the couch, pausing to push the book off onto the floor. Crouching over her on his knees, one sank down between the back and the cushions. He didn't feel it but he heard something snap.

Clark lifted his head and looked down at Chloe whose heavy lidded eyes were becoming perplexed at the noise. Freeing one of his hands, Clark rooted around his knee cap. His fingers brushed something cool and plastic. He grabbed it and pulled, bringing the interruption into the light.

And there it was. The reason why Clark shouldn't be kneeling over Chloe's form on the couch. The reason why Clark couldn't continue along the fantasy road he'd been walking down in his head. It laid in his palm, the severed form of a G.I. Joe action figure, no doubt belonging to Connor and Kaid.

Clark heaved himself off the couch and went to place the toy in a toy chest off to the side already holding sports balls and building Legos. He dropped the broken soldier into the box with a loud thunk, the sound echoing through-out the silent loft.

Chloe sat up, fidgeting nervously while Clark took his time over by the boys' toy box. When he turned, his handsome face was settled into the vacant look he wore at times. Times when he preferred to leave things unsaid. What a corner Chloe had backed herself into tonight.

"I'm gonna go to bed-"

"I'm sorry about that-"

Both stopped short, waiting for the other to finish their sentence.

Clark spoke first. "No need to apologize. It's not like it meant anything. Good night."

She watched Clark's black head disappear down the stairs. Not for the first time, Chloe wondered if she'd made a huge mistake.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Clark stomped from the barn all the way to the kitchen, slamming the door as hard as he could without splintering the wood. How could he and Chloe not be together now? Today, when they'd been together, walking around the land and talking it felt incredibly right. The night they'd been together had felt right and the kiss they'd just shared. . . He yanked a chair out from the dining table and plopped down onto it. Flattening out his hands on the smooth surface, he lowered his forehead and rested it against the cool table top.

Emotions simmered within him like stew ingredients threatening to boil over. Anger, confusion, resentment, to name a few, swirled around his belly, making him a little nauseous. Here he was, a thirty year old man, single and alone, living like a guest in his own home and longing, again, for an unavailable woman. He was stuck in the same pattern! And why, if Chloe wrote him off years ago, did she kiss him in the loft? Clark growled low in his throat.

Several hours later, Clark watched as the sun began to rise. Like the night before, he'd tossed and turned on the narrow width of the sofa. Lucky I don't really need sleep, Clark groaned internally as he shuffled into a sitting position and scratched his head. Glancing over at the digital clock on the bottom of the TV screen he saw it was a little after six. If he remembered correctly, morning was about to begin for other three occupants of the house. Clark sharpened his hearing, listening for activity and found he wasn't the only one who was greeting the rising of the sun. The boys were asleep, their breathing deep and unhindered but soft footsteps could be heard pacing along the upper floor. Clark angled his head upward and willed the floorboards to dissolve.

Bare feet padded the length of the room as Chloe chewed on a fingernail. Her hair was down and mussed and Chloe kept pushing it out of her face with the hand she wasn't chewing on. Clark knew he wasn't the only one who'd had a restless night. He'd lain awake until half past two. Chloe had still not come in from the barn and Clark was fighting the urge to go and check on her when he heard the crunch of her footsteps outside. The kitchen door opened a few seconds later.

Clark scuttled back under his blankets, not wanting Chloe to catch him watching and waiting for her like some overprotective father. He felt Chloe watching him silently from the doorway, just standing there and gazing at him. Like a sixth sense, Clark could tell Chloe was arguing with herself over something. Something she wanted to tell him. Since he returned he'd catch glimpses every once in a while when Chloe was looking at him or when he caught her off guard yesterday morning. Part of him had wanted to fly up at her and demand she explain herself. The other part was absolutely content to just lay with his back to her, making her feel as undervalued and cheap as he had when he realized she'd slept with Oliver probably only minutes after he left. But the longer she stood there, the harder it was for Clark to ignore her presence. Chloe had a way about her, he always knew she was near him. Maybe it was that distinct spicy scent he never really knew was her until he hadn't smelt in eight years. Maybe it was the way her heart sped up when he smiled at her. Maybe it was the way he could feel her affection radiating off her and onto him in comforting waves. All those maybes made him want to curl around her like a fire on a dreary winter day. Clark took a deep breath, coiling his muscles to push himself up when he heard Chloe sigh. It was a wistful noise, followed by the snap of the kitchen light, finally leaving the family room illuminated again by the bluish gleam of the flickering TV.

This morning, slight purplish circles shaded the area underneath Chloe's eyes from lack of sleep. Chloe stopped pacing and folded her little form into an elegant maroon fainting chair, tucking her legs up under her in her favored sitting position. She had on the same fluffy yellow robe as yesterday, cuddling it close to her body. The gaining light of the beginning day was filtering in behind her, shining around her. He'd never thought of Chloe as beautiful or angelic. Those terms he'd always reserved for Lana, her beauty so heavenly that it couldn't possibly be human. Chloe had always been attractive, though. Earthy and womanly in a very real way.

The anger from last night came back. He wanted her. Clark wanted Chloe emotionally and mentally and physically. Looking at her now through the floor, he understood he'd had this beautiful creature by his side, totally committed to him for ten years of his young life. Suddenly, it didn't matter how long he'd been gone. It didn't matter that he and Chloe were back where they were a few years ago before he left. What mattered was that he loved her. He'd always loved her. Clark actually didn't feel like being self-righteous this time around. Chloe had stood beside him, keeping her feelings in careful check, trying to never let them interfere with their friendship. That had been so unfair to her, Clark thought. It must have hard on her, watching him with Lana and listening to him about Lana. I deserve this. The point was Clark loved Chloe enough he'd let her go. The phrase struck him as hilariously ironic.

An alarm sounded and Clark watched Chloe stir from her own thoughts. Figuring she might be down in a couple of minutes, Clark got up and started some coffee before bursting into super-mode; showering and re-dressing in his clothes from the day before in seconds. Chloe emerged from her bedroom just as Clark was putting his folded blankets and pillow into the upstairs linen closet.

"Good morning," Clark greeted as he pushed the door closed.

"Morning," Chloe returned, resting a shoulder against the door frame and crossing her arms. Her voice was a little shy and sleepy. She looked all soft and homey, Clark had to strongly restrain himself from cuddling her into his arms. Chloe reached out and patted his arm before starting down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Wow," Clark heard her exclaim, as he, too, descended into the room. "Two mornings in a row with pre-made coffee? I could get used to this." Chloe was stretching up on her tip toes, reaching up to the top shelf of a cupboard and taking down two coffee mugs. She set them down on the counter before opening the refrigerator and withdrawing a carton of hazelnut creamer.

"Want anything special for breakfast?" Chloe asked him as she filled the cups up halfway. She held up the carton of creamer and waved it at him. Clark shook his head, taking the carafe from her and filling his cup to the brim as Chloe poured a good spout of creamer into her own cup and stirred it with a spoon.

"Don't you need to get ready for work?" Clark asked in answer to her earlier question.

"Actually I'm going to work from here today. My assistant is going to send my stuff out by courier later today."

"Do you want me to run in and get it?" He offered.

"Would you mind, Clark? Jillian won't be in until a little before nine, though. When are you going to see your mom?"

"Her aide said she had some downtime around ten, so I can go get your work for you," Clark answered.

"Thank you, Clark! You'll have saved me about three hours of wasted time. I really appreciate it."

"Anything for my best friend!" Clark replied brightly, grinning and punching Chloe gently on the arm. Chloe raised her eyebrows as Clark pulled a face and sat down awkwardly.

"Okay. Clark listen-about last night," Chloe began, joining him at the bar.

"Chloe, it's okay. I don't expect anything. Its understandable. You and I, we've always been on the edge of something more, but you've moved on and I'm happy for you," Clark told her, thinking if he said it out loud enough he'd start to believe it.

Chloe regarded Clark with surprise. Never once, not in their teens or early twenties, had Clark ever alluded to the connection the two of them shared. He would always just shoot her that little grin and squeeze her shoulders in a friendly way. The only time he'd come closer than this was the night before he left. Clark was also never so forthcoming with his approval. Any guy who'd shown interest in Chloe was looked on with suspicion and dislike for the most part. Of course, most of the men Chloe got tangled up with, earned that suspicion and dislike at the very end. All except Jimmy, but even he wasn't immune to Clark's alpha male ego in the beginning.

"That's really great of you, Clark, but-"

"So what am I picking up for you at the office today?"

Chloe took the hint and took another sip of her coffee. For the next hour, until the boys came crashing down the stairs for breakfast, Clark and Chloe spoke intermittently to each other. Clark watched Chloe fry eggs in a skillet, her head cocked to the side, listening for a tussle between her two rambunctious sons. Breakfast was soon over and as Clark helped the boys into their backpacks, Chloe searched frantically for her keys.

"Chlo?" Clark called, getting her attention.

"I can't find my keys," Chloe answered the unasked questions. "Have you seen them?" Chloe did a once over of the family room again.

"They're in your hand," Clark told her sweetly.

Chloe looked at her hand, stunned to find herself gripping the keys. She looked up to smile at him, reminded of all the times he'd jingled the keys above her head while she bounced up, grabbing at them. But Clark wasn't looking at her. He was playing with Connor who was hanging like a monkey on Clark's arm while he pumped it up and down like a lever. Kaid looked on, determined to look uninterested but failing miserably as his twin brother giggled happily.

"Thanks," she said quietly. "Guys, come on. We need to get going." She cleared her throat and tried hard not to watch as Clark caught Connor by the waist and zoomed him out the door, playing the airplane game. Chloe looked down at Kaid who still stood by her side. Holding her hand out, Kaid grinned and slipped his little hand into his mom's. They followed Clark and Connor out to her car.

"Jump on in Kaid!" Clark exclaimed. He'd opened the back door, already seating Connor and buckling him in.

"Go on." Chloe nudged Kaid on. Hesitantly, Kaid stepped over to Clark who swung the little boy high up in the air before putting him in next to his brother. Before Clark shut the door Chloe saw a hint of his father's grin on Kaid's face.

Clark reached around Chloe, opening her door and laying a hand on the roof of the SUV, trapping Chloe between Clark's body and the car interior. "Do you have my list?" He asked casually, unaware of the flush creeping up Chloe's neck at his near proximity and no place for her to turn.

"Yeah, let me get it." Chloe fished out the folded piece of paper she'd slipped into her back jean pocket. She held it up between them. "Give it to Jillian. I've already called her and she'll get everything. Thanks again, Clark. Will I be seeing you later tonight?"

"Are you going somewhere after you drop off the boys?" Clark asked, kind of wanting to see her before he left for the day.

"I'm meeting a friend for coffee after I drop off the boys, so I probably won't see you until you get back. Unless, you're planning on staying with your mother for a little bit," Chloe finished, throwing her purse inside and following it, desperate to move away from Clark and his delightful suffocation.

"No, I'll be home tonight."

"Tell your mom I say hi," Chloe called out the open window as she started her vehicle and shifted into 'D'. With a slight spray of gravel, she hit the gas and moved down the long drive way, leaving Clark waving in her rear view mirror.

Clark returned to the house to make sure all appliances were off before he made the five minute trip to the Isis Foundation. Arriving at the tall building, Clark strode into the lobby. He found the elevators in the back corner. The trip was halting as people got off and on from the second to the eleventh floor. When the car reached the thirteenth floor, Clark was alone and feeling slightly uncomfortable in his jeans and tee shirt.

The doors opened and revealed a highly stylized Metropolitan receiving area. But instead of cool blues and unwelcoming furniture, the room was awash in a soothing moss color with four overstuffed love seats, two on each wall, covered in a floral print. A mousy yet pretty brunette woman sat off in a corner, facing out onto the room behind a Venetian secretary's desk.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked from behind a flat screen monitor the color of moss as well. Thin framed reading glasses sat perched on her nose, reminding Clark of an old woman who'd been knitting.

"I'm Clark Kent. Chloe needed me to pick up some work for her today." Clark held out the half piece of stationary Chloe had given him.

"Yes," Jillian said as she took the paper from him. "I'll be right back with it." He watched the stick thin girl take a key out of a lock box in her bottom drawer and sway over to what must be Chloe's office door and then disappear inside.

Clark waited patiently as he heard the Jillian woman walking across what must be very thick carpet and uttering what an array of good-looking men Ms. Sullivan surrounded herself with. He couldn't help smiling modestly. That is, until a thought hit him. What other 'men' did Chloe surround herself with? A jab of jealousy sliced through him again. Chloe always was a male magnet. Too bad he hadn't realized why that was until too late.

The rest of Clark's thoughts were stopped by one of the double doors opening and Jillian appearing again, a large red leather briefcase with a shoulder strap slapping against her bare calf.

"Here." She shoved the packed-to-the-seams case into his arms. "That should keep her busy for the whole weekend. It was nice meeting you, Clark. Chloe-" Jillian broke off abruptly.

"Chloe what?" Clark led, wondering what Chloe-

Jillian cleared her throat and a soft, knowing smile spread across her face. "Chloe used to speak of you very often."

* * *

Chloe spun the almost empty cappuccino mug around on the table surface, staring out the Talon's picture window that looked out onto Smallville's main drag. Her phone read ten-fifteen. He was probably gone by now. She pressed the speed dial button. It rang and rang and rang before the answering machine picked up. She didn't want to see him again. Not today, not by herself with no one to keep her in check.

She couldn't help it last night. She knew, in an instant, he had felt everything she had felt the eight years he'd been gone. The aching loneliness and the slow passage of time. The missing pieces and the longing for the return. She heard it in his voice, felt it his arms and saw it in his eyes.

She would have to tell him. But not now, not yet.

* * *

U. S. Senator Martha Kent stifled a yawn from the cushy chair she sat in. The Senate Agriculture Committee meeting was running a half hour behind schedule, which was not as bad as some but did make her regret keeping her staff late after nine the night before working on the new guidelines for the Pesticide Bill the party was to be pushing in a few weeks. Instead of curling up with a good book or soaking in a hot bubble bath, Martha opted to be productive. Thank goodness she had two hours of down time coming to her after this meeting in which she could just kick back in her office and breathe.

Martha shifted in her seat and found herself glancing out one of the high, clear windows at the overcast sky which was threatening rain. She always loved the rain. She remembered the days it would rain on the farm. Jonathon would stay out as long as he could until finally stomping in, dripping mud and rain water all over her spotless kitchen floor. In later years, she would have two tall men tracking dirt all into her house after Jonathon and Clark would call it quits and go inside to enjoy a slow, lazy day. But when Clark was little, he would stand at the kitchen door impatiently, waiting for his father to come in. Rainy days were Clark's favorite. They were the only days when the boy felt normal. He would sit in Jonathon's lap in front of the fire while Jonathon would read the paper or the two would play cards, Martha close by reading or sewing buttons back on Jonathon's tattered farm shirts. Martha thought back to the day when the three just sat on the couch, counting the seconds between the lightning and the thunder, watching the squiggly lines the rain made as it trickled down the window. Today she wished to think of long ago happy times when she had a strong husband and an exceptional son, not poll charts or funding issues or petitioned bills. Today, Martha wished it would rain.

The droning voice finally ceased, bringing the meeting to a close and Martha high tailed it out of the large conference room before any of her fellow committee members could detain her. The sound of her short heels on the buffed tile floor were drowned out by the dozens of other hurried footsteps. Among the many others making their way along the hallowed halls of the nation's capitol, Martha spotted her Chief of Staff, Henry Mulligan, a man hand picked by Lois Lane before she left to chase a corner office and a hefty salary at the Daily Planet. Out of several applicants Henry Mulligan was selected for his small stature, academic pallor and a history of pleasing domineering female employers. Martha Kent was far from domineering, but Lois knew Mr. Mulligan would never try to undermine the senator due to the presence of ovaries.

"Henry," Martha breathed in a sigh of relief, grateful for the appearance of her dodgy dressed aide, his faithful clipboard clutched to his chest. "I am so ready for a break! Would you be a dear and-"

"Senator Kent," Henry interrupted uncharacteristically. "I didn't get a chance to tell you this morning in the staff meeting, but your ten o'clock has been filled." Henry noted his boss' crestfallen face as they weaved their way toward her suite of offices.

"By who?" Martha asked, fighting to keep the irritation from her voice.

"A gentlemen who wanted to speak with you. He's waiting for you in your office," Henry replied vaguely.

"Henry-"

"It's a surprise, Senator," Henry interrupted again. He'd gotten a call from a Clark Kent late last night claiming to be the Senator's son. Always suspicious of blackmailers and such, Henry Mulligan had went ahead and scheduled the man, knowing that he could always call security if the man showed up and Henry wasn't convinced. But a call from Chloe Sullivan earlier in the morning put all his fears to rest. Henry had met Chloe only a handful of times but knew she was the woman who lived on the farm in Kansas and was a close, family friend of Mrs. Kent's. She confirmed for him Mrs. Kent's son had indeed returned from abroad and be sure to let her know he was coming to see her today. However, Henry decided that his boss needed some cheering up and decided it would be a nice surprise, a visit from her son. His doubts vanished when the tall man showed up in front of him at his desk, identically matching the portrait Martha kept on her desk in her office. He led Clark into the office and after an hour without her appearance, he'd asked Clark to sit tight and quickly flitted off to see what was keeping the Senator.

Martha raised her auburn brows at Henry, who usually she could read like a book. With a small, apprehensive smile, she relinquished her portable desk and shoulder bag to him at the door of her suite and entered first. The waiting room was empty. Off the waiting room branched four medium sized offices, each with at least two staffers inside working. Each waved as Martha passed. Her own office was located down at the end of the short hallway, preceded by an antechamber Henry resided in. The office door was slightly ajar and Martha pushed it silently open.

A tall man with thick dark hair stood in the middle of the room, rotating his head slowly as he looked around the office. His hands were in his jean pockets and his feet were shoulder width apart. He wore a navy blue t-shirt and his feet were encased in worn looking work boots, caked in earth. Martha continued to peer at the back of his head, not daring to believe it was who she thought it was a first glance. But then the man shifted and his profile came into view.

Joy bubbled up and out of her mouth as Martha cried out. Clark turned suddenly, not having heard his mother enter. A wide smile broke out on his face as he met her halfway, catching her in his arms tightly.

"Clark!" Martha exclaimed as tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She pulled him close, gathering Clark as much as she could into her arms like she had when he was a little boy.

"Hi Mom," Clark said softly, bending low to receive his mother's hug. He could hear her murmuring 'my little boy, my little boy' over and over against his cotton clad shoulder.

After a few minutes, Martha leaned back. "Let me look at you," she ordered. Clark stepped back as his mother perused him. Her sturdy, comforting hands ran through his hair and down his cheeks. They continued on, checking him over as she'd done when he was a child, able to be hurt and later when he exhibited any new ability. Martha took in his slightly matured face and better posture, but other than that, Clark was the same as the last time he visited her.

"Where have you been?" She whispered, aware they were not in private even if it was her office.

"Lots of places," Clark replied. "I'm sorry I was gone so long."

"Oh, Clark, that doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're not. . ." Tears clogged her throat.

"I know," Clark finished for her, hugging his mother again, wishing she'd never had to think he was dead.

"I always knew you were alive. A mother knows. But I was always so afraid you were in danger or hurt and that was the hardest-" Martha broke off, allowing her tears to fall. She cried quietly, the fear for her son over the years mixing with the joy of his return.

"I wasn't. I wasn't ever. I was always safe," Clark responded. For the most part, he added in his mind.

"Are you hungry?" Martha questioned, after squeezing him once more. She wiped the tears from her red eyes. "Let's go. You can't have had lunch yet, right?" Martha blinked away the remaining clouds in her eyes as she lifted her wrist to look at the dainty gold watch Jonathon had given her on their twenty-third wedding anniversary.

"Mom, you don't need to worry about it. I didn't come for your famous Green Bean Casserole. I came to see you," Clark told her, although the thought of one of her freshly baked apple pies made his mouth water.

"Well, I'm taking the rest of the day off and spending it with you. Oh, Clark," Martha started again, swallowing the emotion that surfaced once more. She called out for Henry. "Plus, we can't really talk here," she finished in a whisper.

The slight man appeared, pushing up his glasses on his nose. "Yes, Senator?"

"I want you to meet my son," Martha beckoned with a hand. Henry hurried forward, his hand before him to be quickly engulfed in Clark's. "Clark, this is my Chief of Staff, Henry Mulligan."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Mulligan," Clark said with a nod.

"Likewise, Mr. Kent. The staff has heard much about you from your mother. It's great to finally meet you," Henry replied dutifully.

"Thank you," Clark returned before falling uncomfortably silent in the presence of the shrewd, little man.

"Cancel all my appointments today, Henry. Clark and I are spending the day together. I'll have my cell phone in case you absolutely need me."

Henry nodded quickly before dancing out the door. Martha crossed to her desk and began straightening some papers, stuffing some in a battered notebook to carry home with her.

"Mom, I know you're busy," Clark began. "I just wanted to see you and tell you I was okay."

"Clark," Martha said sternly, pinning him with her familiar 'no argument' stare.

"Yes ma'am," Clark answered, giving in to his mother's unspoken will. For the next few minutes, he watched his mother bustle in and out of her roomy office, speaking briskly to others who were also in a flurry at the Senator's impromptu day off.

"Oh, Michelle, wait!" Martha called, scampering in her pumps across the plush carpet and out the door. At her quick clip, Clark thought if she was blonde, he would swear she was Chloe. The similarities between his mother and his best friend became very apparent to him. Both were driven and loyal and practical. Both kept his world turning. Both would do anything for him, he was sure.

Clark gazed around her office. It reminded him of the family room at home. He spied most of the framed pictures that used to litter the surfaces of the living room and old piano at the farm. Along the credenza Clark saw the favorite picture of his family; his mother standing between him and his father. Next to that he saw a framed head shot from his father's own senatorial campaign and off to the side was a small snap shot of him and Lana outside of Nell's flower shop when they were either eight or nine.

"You ready to go?" Martha asked from her doorway.

"Yeah," Clark answered as he turned and followed his mom out of her office and outside, along a sidewalk that led to a little side street. A black Tahoe sat idling with diplomatic plates. Martha climbed in first, followed by Clark.

"Hello again, David," Martha greeted the serious looking man sitting behind the wheel who nodded stoically in return. Clark and Martha fastened their seat belts while Martha continued chatting pleasantly with the man. "This is my son Clark."

"Nice to meet you Clark," David said. He and Clark shook hands between the seats awkwardly.

"David is the head of my security team," Martha told Clark as she took his hand on the bench seat between them.

Clark looked out the window of the sleek vehicle as it pulled away from the curbside parking spot and turned onto a busier main street, heading away from the snowy white capitol building. A little over ten minutes later, David parked the car across the street from a red brick three story town house with wide white sashed windows, six total Clark could see facing the street. There was a good sized front stoop bordered with black wrought iron rails on either side with fat, potted geraniums the color of vibrant pumpkins that sat on the bottom step.

Exiting the SUV, Clark slung his mom's work paraphernalia over both shoulders while Martha hopped down from the high profile vehicle with her clutch purse tucked under her arm.

"When did you move from the condo?" Clark asked, following her across the street to the pleasant looking house. Family cars lined the block in assigned parking spaces and while it was only a few streets over from one of the busiest fairways in D.C., it was blissfully quiet.

"A couple of years ago. I wanted somewhere more permanent while I was here. Come on in," Martha answered as she turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door, revealing a large living room with a matching brick fire place in the corner closest to the entrance. It was an open floor plan with a equally large kitchen and dining room set farther back behind the living room before leading out into what looked like a very cultivated green backyard through the French back doors. A three tiered staircase wrapped around behind the dining room, the third section of the stairs disappearing into the second floor. All three rooms had a running theme of a transplanted country woman with old fashion knick-knacks and pastoral paintings. The walls were a peaceful cream with soft brown colored accents and Clark almost felt he was sitting in a frothy cup of coffee.

"It's great, mom," Clark told her, looking admiringly around her home.

"Thanks. Chloe helped with a lot of it. I was so busy when I first bought it," Martha responded.

"She did a good job. Hey, where do you want these?" Clark asked, motioning to his loaded arms.

"Oh, just drop them there, sweetie. I'll put them up later. What do you want for lunch?" Martha asked, dropping her keys and purse onto a dark victorian spindle table with three legs right inside the door. Clark entered all the way in and shut the door tightly behind him, placing the portable desk, shoulder bag and laptop case just beside the table. He then headed to the kitchen, where his mother was already peering into her refrigerator. "How about some honey glazed barbecue chicken with some baked potatoes and green beans? That sound good to you?"

"Anything you cook sounds good to me," Clark answered.

"Good. You can help me and tell me all about what you did while you were gone," Martha suggested excitedly. They set about making lunch, each taking turns telling the other what had been keeping them occupied over the years. Clark kept looking at his mother, as if he was trying to memorize her face. Her hair was still thick and a pretty red color with a few silver strands running within, her eyes the soft, homey blue. She had a few other wrinkles he didn't remember but otherwise she was the same Martha Kent she'd always been.

"You have pie," Clark commented reverently when he spotted it in the back of the fridge while taking out a pitcher of tea.

"Yes, its a new recipe I tried out the other day. Its Maple Pecan with sliced apples. My subconscious must have known you were coming home," Martha told Clark with affection as she rubbed his back. Clark threw her his signature grin. Half an hour later, Martha plated their meal while Clark refilled both their tea glasses.

"Looks so good, Mom," Clark said as he slid into the head chair at the dining table, Martha taking the one to his left. Waiting until Martha was finally seated and said grace, Clark dug his fork into the perfectly baked potato, popping the piping hot morsel into his mouth, skin and all. It almost melted on his tongue in a sea of butter and salt and sour cream. "I think your cooking has gotten better."

"Well, I doubt Jor-El fed you properly while you were away," Martha responded in her 'mother' tone.

The two ate slowly, taking the time to talk between each bite of food. Clark peppered his mom with questions on her work at the capitol, finding the system by which Martha operated fascinating. He mentally walloped himself for not paying more attention in the government course he took his senior year of high school. Finally exhausted from speaking in depth about her many projects and bills, Martha took a sip of her tea and waved away another question Clark directed at her.

"Later, later. Did you just get back today?" She asked, cutting the second half of her chicken into tidy cubes.

"No, I actually got back day before yesterday," Clark answered.

"Where have you been for the past two days?"

"I went to the farm first," Clark told her quietly.

"Oh, to see Chloe."

"And to find out how to get in touch with you," Clark hurried to explain.

"Clark," Martha laid a hand on top of her son's, reading his trail of thought. "It's okay if you wanted to see Chloe before me. And it was perfectly natural to go to the farm first. That's your home. How is she? I haven't spoken to her in about a month."

"She's good. She says hi."

"Did you meet Connor and Kaid?" Martha asked excitedly. She continued on before Clark could answer. "Aren't they just precious? They must be so big now! I haven't seen them in a few years. Every time I go for a few days visit they're either out with Oliver or at a friend's house. I would love to see them again."

"Yeah, they're great boys," Clark mused, almost to himself.

Martha noticed the subtle change in Clark's demeanor when she mentioned the boys. She knew something was weighing on Clark's mind, could tell the moment after she looked into his eyes. But, being a patient woman, she would wait for Clark to make his way around to it, as he always did, in his own time. When plates were empty and wiped clean, Martha suggested, "How about I give you the tour while the pie is warming in the oven?"

She led Clark around the lower level, showing him her office that was to the side of the back doors and then peeking their heads out to see her lush backyard and small vegetable garden. Making small conversation, she took him upstairs where three bedrooms resided. One was hers, with most of the bedroom furniture from the farmhouse, including the antique dressing table that belonged to Jonathon's grandmother. The other was a catch-all room although Clark thought he saw some boyish toys sticking out of one of the boxes. And the last, at the end of the hall, was his.

"She kept it?" Clark muttered softly as he walked into the room that held all of his belongings from his old life. It was set up just like it had been at the house in Smallville. His Daily Planet attire was hung in the closet, his work clothes and other things in the chest of drawers, pictures and other mementos surrounded the room just like they did. On the windowsill, sat the picture of him and Chloe on her wedding day. Picking it up, he fingered it as he sat down on his bed.

"What did you expect, Clark?" Martha asked softly as she joined her son on the bed. Laying a hand on his back, she continued. "That we would get rid of all your things just because you were gone?" Martha observed the way Clark's blunt fingers almost caressed the glass over Chloe's face. Something stirred inside her, giving her an inkling about what was troubling him.

"I just thought. . . I don't know what to think," Clark said, setting the picture back in its place.

"Is something wrong, Clark? I can imagine what a shock it was to come home and find out you've been gone for eight years instead of the expected two."

"What happened while I was gone, Mom?" He questioned, bringing a leg up on the bed and facing his mother. "What happened with Chloe and Oliver? When did they-" Clark broke off, not able to finish his sentence.

"You just spent the last two days with Chloe. Did the two of you not catch up?" Martha returned, wondering what the two friends had spent time discussing if not all the changes that had occurred over time.

"We did, but not about that. Mostly about what happened with me and then we had dinner with Oliver and Lois and you know how hard it is to talk with Lois around. I do know about Lex, though. Chloe filled me in on that," Clark explained, omitting the truth of not wanting to know what happened between Chloe and Oliver and especially having to hear it from Chloe or Oliver.

"Why don't we go back downstairs? I'll fill you in over dessert." Martha and Clark made their way back to the kitchen that was filled with the scrumptious smell of one of Martha Kent's original pies. After cutting two nice chunks and garnishing them both with hefty dollops of whipped and ice cream, Martha took her chair across from Clark again, making herself comfortable.

* * *

It was a clear, sunny day as Martha drove along the county road and then turned onto Hickory Lane, her cozy farmhouse coming into view. Clark had been gone for almost five months now and Martha was sorry she hadn't been out to see Chloe sooner. She'd been hoping they could both hold out until Thanksgiving but the times she'd spoken to Chloe on the phone were short and hurried, as both women were throwing themselves into work to fill the void left by Clark and the young woman sounded so tired and despondent most of the time that Martha knew she needed to go out and visit her. So when the Senator found out she would have some vacation time between sessions available, she made plans to head to Kansas.

It was a Saturday and Martha spied Chloe's small, compact yellow car parked neatly in front of the white picket fence that rounded the yard. She also spotted a very expensive automobile parked haphazardly next to Chloe's, reminding Martha strongly of all the flashy cars Lex used to drive as a reckless young man. Joining the two, Martha pulled her own sedate late model sedan up beside the barn and stepped out. She could see the front door was open and could just hear slightly raised voices coming from inside. Quickly, Martha made her way to the front door and pulled open the screen, stepping inside.

"You need to take it easy!" A male voice shouted. "You don't know how this could affect you, so until we get you checked out, I want you to rest!"

"I don't need rest, Oliver. I need to work. You said it yourself, it will help the time go by quicker," Chloe, her voice clearly agitated, replied.

Hurrying down the hallway, wanting to make her presence known and not be thought an eavesdropper, Martha's quiet loafers carried her to the back of the house toward the voices, in the laundry room she'd guess.

"Chloe?" She called out as she stepped into the kitchen.

Chloe's head popped around the corner, indeed from the laundry room. "Mrs. Kent!" She cried out happily, her face at first almost uneasy was quickly covered by a cheerful smile. A second head popped out over hers, the head of Metropolis' newest most eligible bachelor, Oliver Queen. Martha registered surprise at finding Mr. Queen in her home and having a very heated discussion with her son's best friend.

"Mr. Queen," Martha greeted politely.

Oliver stepped out from around Chloe, meeting Martha in the middle of the kitchen, hand outstretched. "It's good to see you again, Senator Kent. It's been a while."

"It has been a while. I hope business has been profitable?"

"Never better. Well," Oliver grinned at Martha and then swung around and eyed Chloe who eyed him right back. "I'll let you ladies. . . Do whatever it is that ladies do and I will talk to you later," he sternly directed at Chloe who visibly winced. Oliver headed to the kitchen door and before exiting turned one last time to Martha. "It was nice to see again, Senator."

Both Chloe and Martha watched him leave, listening to the powerful engine turn and spurt to life. Martha looked back to Chloe, who still was hiding behind the wall. Eyes that were a little too bright, turned to Martha.

"Well, aren't you gonna give me a hug?" Martha teased. Usually Chloe bowled her over, but today, she was hesitant. "Chloe, is there something wrong?"

Chloe pressed her lips together and with a deep breath, stepped out from behind the wall.

"Oh," Martha gasped, catching sight of Chloe's heavy rounded belly. "Chloe." She rushed forward and hugged the girl, who began crying silently on her shoulder.

"Let's go sit down." Martha led Chloe to the sofa in the family room and sat her down, seating herself next to her, close enough so she could wrap a motherly arm around her shaking shoulders. "How far along are you?"

"Five months," Chloe answered softly.

"Is- Is this what the two of you were fighting over?" Martha asked tentatively. She assumed Chloe had come to know Oliver through Lois, who had dated the billionaire for a short period. She was surprised to think the two of them had had an affair. Martha was aware of how the world worked these days but she just didn't think Chloe was that kind of girl.

"Yes ma'am."

"Is he going to take responsibility?"

"He's trying to," Chloe commented dryly, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I didn't know what to say."

"Oh, Chloe," Martha said again, squeezing her shoulders with reassurance. "I want you to come to me for anything. You've always done so much for my son and there is never any way to repay you, but I am here for you, no matter what."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent."

"They never got married?" Clark asked. He'd wondered fleetingly if Chloe and Oliver had ever made that final step. Chloe still went by Sullivan but that was expected. She'd always been so independent.

"No. They weren't even publicly a couple until about two years ago. For the most part they've kept everything very hush-hush, but then the paparazzi snapped a shot of the Chloe and Oliver getting coffee with the boys in tow and the cat was out of the bag. I believe Oliver splits his time between the house and his loft. It works for them. Chloe wanted to raise the boys in Smallville so I asked her to stay on at the farm until her and Oliver wanted to find something more permanent. Its nice, too. When I go home for a visit or just to unwind for a few days, I have someone there. The house was always so lonely without you or Jonathon there," Martha explained. She looked closely at her son. As she recounted the way she'd learned of Chloe's pregnancy and asking her stay at the farm, Clark had retreated more and more inside his head. She got the tiniest feeling there was more to his unease than he was letting on. "Clark, are you upset that I let them stay in the house? I'm sure Oliver would be more than happy to move them into the city with him. He's told me many times he would like to have them closer."

Clark rose from his chair, empty plate and glass in hand. Placing them gently in the sink, he turned back to his mother. Martha trembled at the anguish she saw on her son's face. "Clark," said Martha as she went to him. "What is wrong?"

"I was such an idiot to believe him. Jor-El told me two Kryptonian years. I should have known there was a difference! Now, she's gone and everything has changed and I don't know what to do."

"Clark, who is gone?"

Clark looked at his mother. "Chloe."

"Chloe?" Understanding dawned on her. "You. . . Were going to be with Chloe when you came back?" Then why. . .

"I thought we were," Clark muttered.

"Did the two of you talk about it?"

"No." Clark's voice was getting smaller.

"Then why did you expect, if you were going to be gone for two years, that she would wait for you until you returned? Isn't that a little unfair, Clark? I mean, you've never really showed any romantic interest in her before."

"Because we. . ." Clark's voice trailed off. He'd never told him mom about his, well, sex life, albeit a meager one. The only reason she knew he'd done it at least once was because her and his father had caught him sneaking Lana out of the house early one morning.

"You. . . What?" Martha led. Clark turned his head and gazed at her knowingly, pleading with her not have him finish his declaration. "Oh." Martha crinkled her brow. "How?"

"Mom!" Clark exclaimed, quickly scurrying out of the kitchen and into an easy chair in her living room.

Martha laughed out loud. She couldn't help it. Joining Clark in the living room, she folded herself onto the couch opposite of the chair. Clark refused to look at her. "Clark, I don't want a reenactment. Your father and I just always assumed with your powers that you wouldn't be able to experience that. . . kind of connection with another human being," she explained gently.

"It was Blue Kryptonite," Clark said.

"Blue Kryptonite?" Martha parroted. "There's more than just green, red, black and silver? How much of Krypton did they send with you?"

"Enough if we really wanted to recreate the whole damn planet," Clark griped.

"Clark, language."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"What does it do? How did you get it?"

"Do you remember when I destroyed Bizarro? The other Kryptonian man who gave me the Blue K the first time sent the same kind of bracelet he wore so he could live a normal, human life with his wife to me before he was killed by Brainiac. It strips me of my powers when I'm wearing it," Clark quickly explained.

"Well, did the two of you talk after this happened?"

Clark eyed his mother. His next remark was going to make her a little upset with him. "No. I kind of left the next morning to go to training."

"Clark Joseph Kent," Martha almost shouted. Clark winced. He hadn't heard that tone since his was eight and had accidentally turned his mom's very new, very expensive coffee table into kindling. "Are you telling me, that you left Chloe without speaking to her after you slept with her?!"

Martha couldn't believe her fury! She'd always had a soft spot for the girls Clark had ever brought home. Lana, Lois and Chloe were like the daughters she'd always wanted but never had. But then, one, fine, sunny day, her powerful son came storming into their kitchen and began throwing horrible accusations around along with his father like Jonathon was a paper doll. Martha watched helplessly as she was sure one of the two men she loved so dearly would kill the other until Clark began to falter and behind him, a small, shaking girl with green meteor rock clutched in her hand was revealed. That day, Martha and Jonathon found a strong friend and ally in Chloe Sullivan, one that would be tested time and time again and always come out shining. In the days after Jonathon's death, it was Chloe that got her through. Her and Clark, both. And now, over the past years, she had come to view Chloe as one of her own. She loved Chloe like her own child, loved Chloe's children like her own grandchildren. The thought that Clark could do something so male astounded her. Especially with the way he was raised. And especially since the woman had been Chloe.

"Well, no wonder she didn't wait for you, Clark! I am so ashamed! How dare you treat that girl like that? And with all she's ever done for you? For us? For our family?"

Clark interrupted his mother's tirade. "I know what I did was wrong. It was not the way to handle it."

"You can say that again, young man," Martha concurred from the couch.

"I wish I could go back and redo it. If I could, I wouldn't leave things like I did. But, Mom, she went and slept with Oliver right after I left! So obviously, it didn't mean as much to her as it did to me."

Martha took in what Clark had said. Her son did have a point. And while she was still seething over Clark's earlier revelation, she knew that Clark must be have been and probably still was, feeling some pain. "You're right. But people do senseless things when they are hurt. Chloe might have used Oliver. She might have thought it would ease her own pain. Either way, you were both wrong in what you did. It doesn't matter now."

"I love her, Mom," Clark said quietly.

"You what?" Martha replied, not sure she'd heard him correctly.

"I love her," Clark said again, stronger this time. "I realized it when I was away. I missed everything. I missed you, I missed Shelby. Hell, I even missed Lois. But the one who kept coming back to me, the one I actually felt torn from, was Chloe. It took weeks before I could get through one day without wondering what she was doing or if she missed me as much as I missed her." Clark stood again and began pacing back and forth in front of the fire place. "I can't describe it, but it was like a piece of me was gone. When Lana left finally, I felt the same. But it got better. Slowly, but better. This time, it didn't get better. I felt incomplete. I've never been away from her that long before and I know now I don't want to be. And I don't know what to do," Clark finished, punctuating the end of his halting speech by collapsing back into the chair.

"Clark, there's nothing you can do. I know you've always dreaded the idea of being alone, but the harsh truth is you may be. I can say this truthfully now, there is no one I would rather see you with than Chloe. She understands you better than you understand yourself. But she's with Oliver now and she's a mom. The most important thing is that you two continue to be there for each other like you have since you were kids. And you try and move on with your life. I know how much Chloe means to you, which clues me in to how much you must love her. But the best thing is for you to let go," Martha replied gently. She reached across the space and took Clark's hand.

The rest of the day passed quickly for the two. Martha helped Clark pack up his clothes to take back to the farm. "Would you like me to speak to Chloe about moving?" Martha asked tentatively. It would be awkward, considering the life Chloe had made for herself in Smallville, but it could be done.

"No, no. It's a nice place to grow up on. The twins will enjoy it. I'll probably just move out into the loft in the barn or the one above the Talon. Is it still vacant?"

"Ever since Lois moved into Metropolis. Are you sure you're okay with that, though?"

"Yeah. Lana deeded it over to Chloe along with the Isis Foundation so I'm sure I can negotiate a fair rent. Hey Mom, do you know what time it is? I promised Chloe I would be back for dinner."

Martha looked at her son's back reproachfully. He would never learn. "Speaking of time, I'll be right back." Martha sailed down the hallway to her room. Opening a small drawer, she removed a pretty blue box she'd received in the mail almost two years ago, only a few weeks after Chloe and Martha had moved Clark's stuff into this house. Opening the box, she caressed the worn leather band.

Once back in the room, she held the box out to Clark. "I know you'd like to have this back."

"Dad's watch," Clark murmured, opening the box himself and putting the watch on. "Thanks, mom."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay on for a few more days?" Martha suggested again as she and Clark stood at her front door. A part of her was still afraid he'd leave and she'd never see him again.

"I'll call you when I get home, okay? I promise." Clark enveloped his mother in his arms and Martha held on for a long time. Finally, as evening started to darken around them, she withdrew.

"I love you, Clark," Martha told him, laying a hand on his cheek.

"I love you too, mom." He bent his head and kissed her cheek. "I'll talk to you in five minutes."

Martha watched him disappear from her stoop. She shut the door and listened to her quiet house. She almost envied Clark for going back to the farmhouse, even if he was surrounded with what he felt was betrayal by the woman he loved and her new life. If only to be around her. It was nights like these when Martha wished to give up politicking and return to Smallville. At least then she would be surrounded by friends. She had friends here in D.C. as well, but they were all from the political realm and it would be nice every once in while to be with someone who didn't know the ends and outs of her job. One of these days she would go back. When her eyes were weak and her mind wasn't as sharp, she would go back to her farmhouse and wait to join Jonathon.

"But that is not today, Martha," she told herself and with the renewed vigor of knowing her son was safe and home she went and answered her phone that was ringing in her office. Martha could hear the boys in the background as her and Clark spoke. Chloe's strong command of "Be quiet!" could be heard as well and Martha smiled at the family life that was creating itself there.

"Gotta go, mom. I think a fight is fixing to break out. Hey!" The line went dead. Clark was already throwing himself into the lives of the twins. Martha could tell, after she spoke with him today, he was quickly developing a soft spot for Chloe's sons. And who wouldn't, Martha thought.

The clock on her desk read seven-thirty. Martha gathered up the work she'd brought home with her and retreated upstairs to her bedroom. Turning on the TV she tuned it to a comedy channel that was currently showing a marathon of I Love Lucy episodes. Spreading her work out on her bed, she got comfy and began the busy work of a Senator. But she couldn't keep her mind on her work. It kept floating back to Chloe and Clark and what the two of them had done. She wished, too, so badly Clark had come back after two years, although their lives would still be the same even if he had. Or would they have been? Martha sat up. There was that prickling feeling again. The one she got when her mind was trying to put something together. It hadn't happened in quite some time and she was at a loss if she knew what was triggering it now.

Martha went back over her and Clark's conversation. Something was there. But what was it? She focused her thoughts on Chloe. Now that she knew that Chloe and Clark had shared something so intimate, Martha found it even harder to believe that Chloe jumped into bed with another man only days after she and Clark had been together. And her cousin's ex-boyfriend, for that matter. Martha sat back against her headboard and watched the black and white forms of Lucy and Ethel try and sneak their way into Ricky's nightclub in some new, zany way. It was one of her favorites, but it wasn't holding her attention.

Chloe's pregnancy had been very scary. For Chloe and for Martha. For days, Chloe was sicker than a dog, so weak she wasn't able to get out of bed. Martha begged Chloe to find another doctor after the one she was seeing told her to ride it out, but Chloe refused. She would suffer from dizzy spells, belly cramps, dehydration as the twins seemed to suck all the strength out of their mother. Other times Chloe had the energy of ten teenage boys, but this would only last a few days and then she'd be back in bed. Toward the end, it got worse. A month from her due date, the pains started. Pains so intense Chloe would let out a glass shattering scream that had Martha's heart beating like a snare drum in her chest. A special doctor, Dr. Emil, would be choppered out by Oliver every day to exam Chloe and every day he had the same response.

"She's healthy, the babies are healthy. We just have to be patient," he would tell Martha before he would hike himself back into the helicopter.

Chloe's due date came and went and still no boys. Two weeks, then three and then a month went by. She began to suffer from toxemia, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. As days dragged by, Martha became more and more concerned for Chloe's health and her children. Chloe refused to take any medication, afraid of what it would do to her unborn sons. She was put on strict bed-rest. Dr. Emil still refused to take the babies, though. He and Oliver Queen were now sleeping on the couch or in the recliner in the living room, waiting. Martha fought every feminine and motherly instinct she had. This man, this doctor, was a highly respected one and she forced herself to trust him. And then one day, standing in the kitchen with Martha, bare foot and clutching her back, Chloe fell to the floor. She quickly became disoriented and she began to writhe on the kitchen floor. She called out for. . . Clark.

Martha remembered Oliver racing in and picking Chloe up, carrying her quickly to her bedroom on the second floor. As she went, she kept muttering against Oliver's shoulders. Clark, Clark, Clark.

"We need to get her to the hospital!" Martha cried as she followed Oliver and Chloe.

"No hospitals, please. The babies," Chloe whined into Oliver's neck as he lowered her gently to the mattress. Another spasm griped Chloe and she clung to Oliver fiercely.

"She needs medication!" Martha shrieked.

"Dr. Emil has all that. We can do this here," Oliver responded with authority.

Chloe screamed again and arched off the bed in what seemed to be excruciating pain, as if something was trying to tear itself out of her. Everything went into a blur after and all Martha could remember was being so terribly frightened as Dr. Emil yelled from the room for different things. It went on for hours. Through the night and into the morning, Chloe lay sweaty and almost unconscious in the sheets of her bed, Martha on one side and Oliver on the other, until finally, a miracle joined them in the room. Martha abandoned Chloe's side to take Connor, the oldest twin and gently clean him up under the careful instructions of a nurse that had magically appeared hours earlier. When she returned back to the room, a clean, healthy and sweet smelling Connor tucked into a blue blanket in her arms, Dr. Emil was patting a screaming Kaid. Martha quickly looked to Chloe. The girl was a pale gray and lay against Oliver's chest, her eyes open but unseeing.

"Chloe?" Martha asked anxiously.

"The labor was very intense, but she's going to be fine. She just needs a lot of rest," Dr. Emil reassured Martha, as he handed off Kaid to be cleaned by the nurse.

"Where is he? I want him. Where is he?" Chloe kept muttering against Oliver's collar.

"He's not here, sweetheart. He couldn't be here," Oliver answered every time into her hair.

"Who is she asking for?" Martha questioned softly. She remembered the sadness in Oliver's brown eyes as he looked to her.

"Clark."

"Clark," Martha whispered vehemently.

Martha shot off her bed and ran downstairs to her office. Snapping on the light she snatched the picture off her desk and ran back upstairs. Back in her bedroom, she tore through her closet for a box of old family photos. Dumping the contents on the floor, she flipped through all the photos until she found the one she was looking for. Leaving the mess where it was, she crawled back to her bed and felt blindly around for the framed picture, never removing her eyes from the snapshot she held. Finally, with a deep breath, she held the two pictures side by side.

"Oh my god," Martha gasped around the thick lump in her throat.

They were identical.

In her right hand, she held a picture of Clark, on the very first day he came to them. He was three with a head of thick brown hair and cute little button features. In her left, she held the last picture she had received from Chloe of Connor and Kaid, taken on their third birthday. They were blonde, but the spitting image of the boy with the brown hair in the other picture. Clark's a father. All this time, she'd never known, she'd never seen. And the way Chloe kept them conveniently hidden each time Martha went out to the farm. Why?

Clark didn't know.

Thoughts were all coming too fast. Martha held her head in hands, forcing her mind to slow down. She had to talk to Chloe. But not over the phone. And she didn't have the time to take off just now. Maybe she was going to tell Clark. Maybe Chloe just hadn't had enough time or found the right moment. Either way, she needed to talk to Chloe.

I have grandchildren. The thought brought a smile to Martha's tear stained face. "I'll give her two weeks. She has two weeks."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Morning, Smallville. Where's my coffee?" Lois, leaning back in her chair with her long legs propped up on her desk, snapped at Clark as he strode into the busy newsroom on the fifth floor of the Planet.

Clark sat down heavily in his chair and regarded Lois from across the space of their desks. "Maybe in the pot where you left it?" He suggested grouchily.

"Someone's in a lovely mood this morning," Lois observed. She left her chair momentarily and returned, two plain white diner coffee cups clutched in her hands. She gently set the black coffee next to Clark's keyboard. "Peace offering."

"Thanks, Lois. I didn't sleep well last night," Clark muttered in excuse for his boorish behavior toward her.

"Well then, that should perk ya right up," Lois replied cheerfully before flitting off somewhere when a skinny copy editor called her name.

Clark peered into the cup apprehensively. He wondered if Lois made it. She had a tendency to make coffee too strong for his taste. Cocking an eyebrow, he raised the cup to his lips and sipped. Awww, smooth. He readjusted his chair, making himself comfortable at his desk and then powered up his computer. As the Planet logo spun on the screen while the monitor booted up, Clark rested his cheek in his hand and blew non-existent bangs out of his eyes. Clark jumped in his seat as Lois' abrasive voice startled him as she began to berate one of the other copy boys who had managed to misspell half of the words. Why he'd ever thought Lois could be a compatible romantic interest was beyond him as he watched her snatch the article from the cowering guy, ripping it into pieces and throwing it back at his face. Oh, yes, rebound haze, Clark thought as he recalled the moment during Chloe's wedding when his bad judgement almost came to a head. He'd been on the job for over a month now and every other day he wished to strangle Lois. And Oliver along with her for talking him into this.

The night he'd come back from his mother's, after he and Chloe nuetralized what would have been an epic battle over the last can of root beer between Connor and Kaid, Clark lured the two boys outside where Oliver joined them later.

"What are their names?" Clark asked Connor and Kaid as he helped brush down the horses in the barn.

"This one," Connor pointed to a pretty brown and white Paint horse in the stall they were currently in. "Her name is Dalma. The next one, his name is Mancha. It means 'splotch' in Spanish," Connor finished proudly.

"Do the two of you ride?" Clark asked, boosting Kaid up on his knee so the boy could reach up and scratch between Dalma's ears.

"Yep. Dalma is mine and Mancha belongs to Connor," Kaid answered as Dalma lifted her sturdy neck to nuzzle her mouth against Kaid's outstretched hand, no doubt eagerly in seach of a treat.

"Nice to meet you." Clark nodded politely to both horses, the Paints looking almost like twins themselves. "Who is that at the end?" Clark asked, motioning to a regal looking blonde Palomino with a white gold mane and matching tail.

"That's Odysseus. He belongs to Mom," Connor piped.

"Really?" Clark commented incredously. The image of Chloe on a horse made him laugh as he remembered the first and last time Clark had seen Chloe mounted. As freshmen in high school, he'd taken both Lana and Chloe for a horse ride through the forest that butted the Kent's land. As usual, Chloe's motives were not purely recreational as she had brought her camera along in hopes of landing a story on some land surveyors who came up against a hermit by the name of Kyle Tippet. A man who Clark would later come to befriend and respect. Somehow, Chloe dropped the camera and when Lana volunteered to retrieve it, her horse spooked and bucked. Lana was thrown, her scream breaking the quiet, fog-filled air as her horse galloped away. Clark, making the mistake of leaving Chloe alone with the two remaining horses, raced back to find Lana. In retrospect, he should have been more worried about leaving Chloe by herself with two very nervous equines than Lana in the hands of Kyle Tippet. They returned to find a muddy Chloe, throwing a tantrum in the middle of the wet forest path. After Clark finally calmed her down, Chloe explained the two horses she'd been baby-sitting spooked at the snap of a twig somewhere off in the distance. A gentle mare, Clark assured a wary Chloe, named Becca, reared and Chloe slid right off, afraid for her life as horse hooves came down, almost stomping her to death as it ran away.

"Clark Kent, I don't care how many hugs you try and bribe me with, I will never go riding with you again!" Chloe yelled into his shoulder as Clark wrapped her in a strong embrace to quell her shaking. For once, Lana was more composed than Chloe as the three teenagers tramped the three miles back to the Kent farm. Trying to take Chloe's mind off the frightening experience, Lana gave Chloe the first exclusive interview about her run-in with Kyle.

Things really had changed for his best friend, Clark thought.

"You guys giving Clark the tour?" Oliver called out as he strode into the barn, waving both hands at the twins in greeting. Like the night before last, the twins broke away, running out of the front stall with Dalma and ran screaming, "Ollie!" to the tall man. Oliver hunkered down, hugging each one of them before joining Clark who was leaning against a beam, watching the twins run back to the horses.

"How you doing today?"

"Better," Clark answered, his eyes not straying from the horses. The American Paint horse was known for it's docility, but Clark still kept a close watch on their hooves as the twins petted and patted them.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about something," Oliver mentioned.

"Sure," Clark turned his attention to Oliver. "What about?"

"Hey, boys," Oliver said to the twins. "I saw Marcus heading this way. Why don't you two see if he needs any help."

"Yeah!" The boys dropped their brushes and scrambled out of the stalls to race out of the barn. Oliver reached inside and retrieved one brush as Clark got the other one.

"What did you want to talk about?" Clark asked when the two men were seated on the landing of the wooden staris leading up to the loft. Oliver sat next to him, his hands laced casually between his knees.

"I was wondering if you had any future plans?" Oliver began by asking.

Clark met Oliver's eyes and for a split-second, he wondered if Oliver was talking about Chloe. But an excited gleam shown out at him and Clark knew Oliver had an idea sprouting. "I'm still trying to re-group. I didn't expect to be gone this long," he answered truthfully. He had returned, ready to face the responsilibilities his powers entrusted him with but how to go about it, Clark had no clue.

"How would you feel about joining the Justice League?" Oliver offered.

"The Justice League?" Clark parrotted.

"Yeah. I know you liked working solo before, but I would like to bring you in. I'll put you on the payroll and everything. You helped us out back in the day and I would like to have you back. We even have a few new recruits I'd like you to meet."

"Thanks for the offer, Oliver, but what would I do with the rest of my time? Chase flashing lights?" Clark asked.

"You used to work at the Daily Planet," Oliver began, turning to look at Clark. He continued as Clark nodded. "I believe there is a postition open for you if you want it. I could put in a good word for you with the owner if you want."

"I did like my job there, but I don't want you to go to any trouble, Oliver. Who owns it now?"

"You're looking at him!" Oliver exclaimed. "I acquired it back when Queen Industries took over Luthorcorp, but only now have I started getting involved. I finally hired a chief editor who seems to know what he's doing. I found him working out of his '93 Cadillac as a freelance reporter. When I mentioned his name to Chloe, she went berserk! She said his work was amazing and I had to give him a job."

"Chloe's got good instincts," Clark replied. "Especially when it comes to journalism. I hated to see her give up on her dream so quickly," he said, referring to when Lex fired Chloe from the Planet on suspicions for hiding something for Lionel Luthor, which she had been. To protect Clark.

"She really enjoys what she does now, though. It may not seem like it, but the job gives her down time with Connor and Kaid she would never have gotten if she was still chasing Pulitzers for the Planet. Chloe handed the Isis Foundation over to a Board of Directors when the boys began. . ." Exhibiting alien behavior. "School. She wanted to spend time with them and be able to pick them up from school or stay home with them if they were sick. She works from home a lot these days, too."

"So who is this guy you found in the car?" Clark switched back to the Planet's new editor. He was having trouble ignoring the pang of jealousy that was beginning to grow as Oliver spoke more about Chloe.

"His name is Perry White. Chloe said you and her had a few clashes with him back in high school. He was writing for some Sci-fi tabloid rag, but it seems meeting you set him back on the path to righteous journalism. Why am I not surprised?" Oliver observed with a grin.  
Clark returned it, thinking fondly of the reformed drunk who had found himself back on top.

"Do you think he'd consider giving me my old job back?"

"I'd say so. Especially with a kind word from his boss. And you're in luck." Oliver's grin widened. "You old partner is availble."

"My old partner?" Clark asked with confusion. The only real partner he'd ever had in the literary world of news was Chloe. Unless Oliver meant. . . "No," Clark said emphatically, shaking his head.

"Exactly, buddy." A self satisfied smile broke out over Oliver's face, making him look very impish. He clapped Clark on the shoulder. "You and Lois!"

Clark chuckled as he recalled the look on Lois' face when Oliver mentioned his new idea. After choking on a mouthful of spaghetti noodles, she glared at both Oliver and Clark at the same time.

"I guess since this is a request from the owner, I can't say no," Lois simpered only to recieve a swift kick under the table from Chloe. "I would love to work with you again, Clark. You can soar to new heights of uselessness." Chloe kicked her again. Oliver, perfectly used to Lois and Chloe's childish antics at the dinner table, waited patiently for Lois to get all her barbs out. Finally, she ground out, "It would be nice to have you back, Smallville. You were always great at tech support."

"Thank you, Lois," Clark accepted a bit uncomfortably. He had never seen Lois so angry as he had that day, even with him. But on the first day, he was surprised by what lengths Lois went to make up for her earlier snideness. She took him around and introduced him to collegues and showed him the layout of the fifth floor. Then he was taken up to meet Perry White.

"I have to say," Perry began, looking even more haggard than he had when he and Clark met last. "I always wondered if I would meet you here someday." Clark shook his hand, more of a friendship grip than a business-like shake.

"You know the Chief?" Lois asked in bewilderment at the obvious reportaire between the two.

"Don't call me that, Lane. Its Mr. White to you and don't you forget it," Perry blustered, sitting back down in a chair that looked as weathered as he did. "What ever happened to that lady bulldog editor you had in high school? I liked her," Perry chirped, referring a young Chloe.

"She went a different way," Clark answered. He noticed Lois leaning against the wall, pouting. "She's actually the head of the Isis Foundation."

"Chloe?" Lois spit out. "You know Chloe?" She directed at Perry.

Perry continued to ignore her. "Impressive. Ah, well. You two seemed to make a good team. Sorry to say I won't be able to harness and leash the dynamic writing duo. You two would have sold papers like crazy! Guess you'll have to make due with Lane, here."

"Make due with me?" Lois cried with outrage. She pushed away from the wall and stormed across to Perry's desk, jabbing at it with her index finger. "I have to make due with him!" Lois exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes and gesticulating toward Clark.

"Don't be too hard on her, Mr. White," Clark began, patting Lois on the shoulder placatingly. "Chloe is her cousin, so it's in her blood."

Lois seethed, brushing off his hand.

"Then I'll leave it to you to bring it out. Now get out of my office and go sell newspapers!"

So Lois and Clark were partners again, only this time they were residents of the fifth floor instead of the bullpen in the basement. While he'd been away, Lois had made a name for herself, it seemed. Sniffing out scandals like a bloodhound, Lois snarled and clamped her jaws around them, dragging them up and out into the light of day and the starkness of print. She catapulted to the fifth floor on the wave of political intrigue and sensational pay dirt, along with really juicy leads that found their way onto her desk in a emerald green file folder. As of right now, Clark's only function was to perform the heavy lifting which included proof-reading her copy, taking her messages and only sometimes getting her coffee. He set his teeth as the words 'glorified assistant' floated through his brain. Just until I get my feet back under me, Clark said to himself. He had a good deal and wasn't about to go screwing it up by biting off more than he could chew. He had one year of experience and a couple of articles on a high school newspaper, heavily influenced by a more talented writer reading over his shoulder as he typed.

As much as he wanted her, Chloe wasn't here to peer over his shoulder as he worked or to suggest ideas that might spark some interest. Truth was, Clark missed Chloe more than just in the Planet. He would always think of this building as Chloe's domain instead of the tall scraper just down the block. He also missed getting up early and making her morning coffee, although he did manage to run over her favorite caffine creations from time to time after he moved into the Talon apartment a little over three weeks ago. He didn't think he'd find it as quiet and lonely as it actually was. Which is why when he wasn't working late or chasing stories with Lois, he was at the house with Chloe, the twins and sometimes Oliver. Still, he missed her when she wasn't with him, a feeling Clark realized he'd been feeling for a long time now. With a slow smile, Clark picked up the phone and dialed. She was, however, just down the block.

"Isis Foundation, how may I direct your call?" A business-like female voice answered. Clark checked the screen on the phone, making sure he'd dialed the direct line to Chloe's office she'd given him.

"I'd like to speak with Chloe Sullivan," Clark told the voice.

"May I ask who is calling?"

"Clark Kent."

"And who are you with, Mr. Kent?"

"I'm a personal friend," Clark said.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kent. You're name is not on the list. May I ask what this is in regards to?"

"I'll just try her on her cell, thanks." Clark disconnected the call and dialed the cell number with arched brows. It went straight to voicemail. "Hey, Chloe, it's Clark. If you don't have any plans for lunch, give me a call. Otherwise, I'll have to you eat your cousin. You know the number." Clark replaced the phone in its cradle, feeling slightly deflated. What list? Why wasn't he on the list? Clark turned back to his computer and began checking his email. Lois emailed him her first draft on their interview with the chairman of the school zoning committe for his plans on the new Metrolpolis school zones. He opened the document and began reading their work. He'd actually helped on this one. Lois had used a lot of the questions he'd come up with. As his mouse pointer hovered over the print option, his desk phone rang.

"Clark Kent," he answered.

"Clark." She didn't have to identify herself. He'd know her voice anywhere.

"Chloe! Does this mean we're on for lunch?"

"Yeah," Chloe replied. She sounded different, nervous.

"Chloe? Are you all right?" Clark asked as Lois appeared upon catching Chloe's name.

"What's wrong?" Lois mouthed at him.

"Could you come over?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in a second."

"I'll leave your name at the desk. They'll escort you up." The line went dead.

"Escort me?" Clark repeated, looking at the dead phone in his hand before hanging it up.

"Was that Chloe? What's wrong?" Lois pestered the moment he cradled the phone.

"I don't know, Lois. She asked me to come over and then said I'll be escorted up," Clark explained as he pulled his thick, charcoal overcoat on and then straightened his maroon tie.

"Oh no," Lois sighed, sitting in Clark's office chair as he stood. "She must have gotten another one."

"Another what?"

"Another note," Lois clarified as she gathered her long hair, a black matching Clark's in honor of Halloween this month, and pinned it in a bun at the base of her neck with paper clips. Clark was always amazed to watch her do this. It was like when Chloe would paint her nails with the white-out in the Torch while she was plagued with writer's block. They were the girliest things Clark had ever seen Chloe or Lois do.

"All this is about a note?" Clark asked in disbelief. When had Chloe become so paranoid? She used to live for hate mail.

"It's not the notes, it's the sender," Lois said with a roll of her eyes. "There was this scientist working for Queen Industries, a Dr. Mickler. He'd been insourced from the Luthercorp takeover. When Lex was expendited back to the U. his trial, he began incriminating all the people who were involved in his little Russian Science Fair. I know, Lex crying plea bargain shocked even me. In the end, it didn't do any good. All his accomplices either went to prison or lost their jobs and Lex is still in a six by three cement block. All except this Dr. Mickler. There was never enough evidence to pick him up on anything, so Oliver just fired him."

"Lois, do I need to sit for this or do you have a point soon?" Clark asked irritably. Chloe sounded unnerved and it was taking all his will power not to just fly out of this busy room to her building.

"Keep your suspenders on, I'm getting there," Lois snapped. Clark glowered at her. He liked his suspenders.

"Anyway, Dr. Mickler spiraled out of control. No one would touch him a 39 and a half foot pole. He drank away his savings and in the end, his wife left him, taking their three boys with her. It's no secret he blames Oliver for all this."

"So why send threatening notes to Chloe? Why not Oliver?"

"He sees Chloe as the weaker partner. Or maybe the one with the power, I don't know. At first it was just pleading to talk to Oliver and beg for his job back. As time went on, his notes and calls became more bellergient and violent. He feels by threatening Oliver's family he'll get what he wants. But neither Oliver or Chloe are budging."

"That still doesn't explain why I'll be escorted up to Chloe's office," Clark reminded Lois, circling back to what started this whole conversation.

"He probably showed up in the lobby demanding to speak with her. He does that every now and then when he gets drunk. Chloe has security, but they're just those Grandpas With Guns. I'm guessing when you get there, you'll be seeing some of Queen Industries Finest. Come on, let's both go," Lois said as she flew foward onto her feet.

"And what would we tell Mr. White if he came down here looking for us?" Clark tried to dissuade her. Chloe asked for him, not her and him.

"We'll leave a note telling him we're out following a story. Chief hardly makes it down here to the fifth floor, unless he feels the need to come and chew on my ass for something," Lois griped as she started to pull on her coat as well. Clark should have known the thought of getting reprimanded at work wouldn't help when it came to Lois. And then, as if he knew Clark needed him, Perry's gravely voice spoke over the office P.A. system.

"Lane! Get up here!"

Lois groaned. "Fine. Go without me." She threw her coat back over her chair. She marshalled Clark over to the bank of elevators and hit the down button for him and the up for her. "Tell my baby cuz hi." Her elevator arrived first. She waved as the doors closed and then Clark heard the car rise steadily. Looking surreptitiously around him, Clark saw everyone else on the floor was absorbed in their own activities. They never found the source of the cool breeze that scattered their papers.

* * *

Jillian didn't show up for work that morning. She didn't even call. From the day Chloe hired Jillian, the young woman was never more than five minutes late without calling. She lived with her college dorm-mate in a high rise over on the east side so traffic had the potential to be a nightmare for her. Since Chloe never left Smallville before eight, after dropping the boys off at school, she didn't require Jillian to come in anytime before nine-thirty, roughly when Chloe was parking her car in her assigned space. But Jillian was always seated at her desk, her electric time card reading 8:45 or earlier. Today, she wasn't.

It was to be a busy day. Chloe had meetings scheduled with all department heads. They arrived and were surprised to see the heavy double doors to their CEO's office wide open and Chloe standing just outside the elevator to greet them. At 10:45, Chloe ushered her accountant from her office and called the temp working the Welcome Desk.

"Has Jillian called yet?" Chloe demanded with worry.

"No, Ms. Sullivan," the girl chirped.

"Thank you. Transfer me to HR," Chloe ordered shortly.

Moments later, a male voice barked, "Lisa, I told you, you can't be calling me-"

"This isn't Lisa," Chloe informed the perturbed sounding man.

"Oh, sorry, ma'am, I-" the man stuttered.

"That's fine. This is Ms. Sullivan." Chloe rolled her eyes at the sharp intake of breath. "I need Jillian Hoffman's personel file sent up immediately."

"Of course, Ms. Sullivan. I'll bring it up myself." Minutes later a good-looking, if shaggy, young man tapped on her door, a brown tri-fold file cluctched in his hand.

"Thank you," Chloe left it hanging as the man made his way quickly to her desk.

"Brad Freeman."

"Thank you, Brad." The man turned to go. "Brad?"

"Yes, Ms. Sullivan?" He said eagerly, facing her again.

"Is this Lisa, the temp working the Welcome Desk, is she your girlfriend?"

Brad's ears turned red. "No, she's just a really good friend."

"Oh," Chloe responded knowingly, recognizing the light in Brad's eyes she'd so many other times in another young guy's eyes. "Treat her better," she said softly in dismissal.

"Yes, ma'am." Brad left and Chloe directed her attention to the file. Finding Jillian's home number, she dialed only to hear a grating busy signal. Then she tried her cell phone, only to be sent to voicemail. Trying a different approach, Chloe dialed the emergency contact, someone named Evone Macrum.

The voice that answered was a woman and by the sound of it, a distraught one. "Hello? Hello?" She said again when Chloe didn't respond right away.

"Hello. I work with Jillian Hoffman and she hasn't come in-"

"How did you get this number?" The woman asked with hostility.

"You are listed as her emergency contact. This is-"

"Who are you?"

"Am I speaking to Evone Macrum?"

"Yes, it is," Evone snapped. "Who are you?"

"My name is Chloe Sullivan. I'm Jillian's boss. I got worried when she didn't show up or call-"

"Jillian's dead." The hostility vanished, the voice becoming tearful and child-like.

"What?"

"She was murdered last night. I'm her room-mate and I came home this morning and-" The girl broke off in tears. "I have to go. I'm sorry." The line went dead and Chloe fell back in her chair, stunned. Jillian? Dead? Her rusty journalistic instincts shook the dust off and made her nerves sing. Jillian was one of the most organized, most thorough, most mature, most boring women Chloe had ever met. How could she have been murdered? Out of habit, she hit the intercom button, to tell Jillian to cancel all her meetings. Instead, she dialed Gladys' extension and asked her if she would mind calling all the heads and telling them their meetings were to be rescheduled for a later date.

"Why? What is wrong, Chloe?" Gladys asked in a hush, still able after all this time, to tell when Chloe was upset.

"Jillian was murdered last night," Chloe spoke in a horrified whisper.

"Oh no! Do you need me to-"

"If you could just call my appointments today. I'm taking the rest of the day off." To investigate, she thought. After assuring Gladys she was as fine as she could be numerous times, Chloe hung up the phone. Grabbing her purse and her warm beige trench off the coat rack, she was closing her door and locking it when she heard the elevator door slid open. Beginning to tell whoever it was she would have to see them later, Chloe turned to find a florist deliveryman holding a long white box.

"Oh, hi," Chloe greeted with surprise.

"Good morning. Are you Ms. Sullivan?" The older gentlemen asked. He was handsome, in a very rugged way and in some ways, reminded Chloe of an older version of Jonathon Kent, if the man were still alive. He didn't look as if he belonged delivering flowers, although Chloe was sure he made the hearts of house wives pound.

"That's me. How can I help you?"

"These are for you," he said with a toothy grin and held out the box. His hands were encased in expensive leather, black gloves.

"Thank you," Chloe accepted the box, glancing at the type of gloves he was wearing with interest. "Hold on, let me get you a tip."

"No need, ma'am," the man said as Chloe balanced the box on a hip to rummage for her wallet. "The man who sent them included it."

Chloe watched the man get back on the elevator and disappear behind the steel doors. With an annoyed huff, she unlocked her doors again and went back inside her office. Setting the box on her desk, she saw the ribbon was a velvety black. Cutting it, she pushed it aside and manuvered the fitted top off to reveal a pretty bouquet of lilac colored tulips. The stems were gathered together in a ribbon matching the one on the outside of the white box. Chloe smiled, thinking Oliver had sent them to her as an apology for being distant this past month. Picking them up to search for a card, Chloe's skin began to crawl. Dropping the flowers to the floor and staggering away, a sharp scream erupted from her mouth as she glimpsed the bottom of the white cardboard box. A long, dangerous looking dagger covered in deep red, dried blood rested there harmlessly.

With shaking fingers, she dialed 911. Moments later, two street cops came shooting into her office. They saw the knife and looked at each other with perplexed eyes. Chloe sat in her chair, a few feet from the flower box, chewing on a fingernail, a pale green tint to her skin. She knew the knife had been used to kill Jillian. And she knew who did it. In an eerily calm voice, Chloe told the cops everything she thought she knew. The notes, the visits from Dr. Micker and the late night calls that Oliver didn't even know about.

"Do you know what the card means?" Asked a CSI operative, a while later as she plucked the card up with latex-gloved hands.

"I didn't touch anything." Chloe said, wringing her hands together.

The woman opened the card. "Ms. Sullivan, you need to read this." She came over to stand beside Chloe, holding the card open.

Under a bloody smudge that looked like a fingerprint, dark purple ink shone in the bright light of her office. "This was your last warning."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The lobby of Isis was indeed crawling with suits. The moment Clark stepped in, he felt about seven pairs of eyes looking him up and down. Smiling politely, he made his way over to the crescent shaped Welcome Center located to his left where a young, pretty red-head sat filing her nails.

"Welcome to Isis, how may I help you?" The woman asked without looking up. Her name tag read 'Lisa' and Clark cleared his throat.

"My name is Clark Kent. I'm here to see Chloe Sullivan."

Lisa glanced up at him and then did a double take. With a slow smile she slid a clipboard over to her and underlined with her hot pink polished nail his name written in loopy cursive. "Right here. I'll show you up, Mr. Kent."

Two large men in non-descriptive but expensive agent-ware stepped forward, both with little communication devices fit snugly into their ears. "He can come with us," the one with the military style hair cut informed Lisa, who sat back in her chair with a pretty pout. Clark followed behind them as they had indicated.

The elevator traveled slowly and steadily. Clark shifted from foot to foot, remembering Chloe's nervous, almost frightened voice, asking for him. They finally reached the thirteenth floor where Clark was escorted all the way to the door. One of the security guards knocked sharply. Focusing his eyes, the wooden doors dissolved and Clark was able to see her, pacing the length of her office in agitation. She seemed unharmed and yet he could see the tension in her eyes and neck as she rushed to answer the knock.

Cracking the door, Chloe saw a black lock curling over a mossy eye in the open sliver. She pulled it open wider and admitted Clark into the room.

"Do you need anything else, Ms. Sullivan?" The suit asked.

Chloe shook her head. "No. Thank you, Krenshaw, Allistor."

"We'll be right outside if you need anything."

Chloe nodded before shutting the door and locking it back again. She continued to lean against the door, hands braced against the smooth surface. Clark could hear her pumping heart, her shallow breaths and her pounding pulse. He could hear the catches in her throat as she fought not to cry.

"What happened, Chloe?" Clark asked with concern. He'd never seen her so on edge before.

"My, um. . . My assistant was murdered this morning," Chloe whispered. A Detective Hudson, a twenty-seven year veteran of the Metropolis Police Force, informed Chloe that Jillian Claire Hoffman had bled out due to deep lacerations on her External Carotid, Brachial and Femoral arteries. From her wounds, the coroner believed she was attacked between the hours of five and seven in the morning, time of death not long after. Her roommate, Evone Macrum, found her after she arrived back home around 9:30 in the morning after a night spent at her boyfriend's. Jillian was just outside the bathroom door, probably having just taken a shower. The knife matched the kind of weapon used but they were waiting for forensics to confirm.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry," Clark said, fidgeting as Chloe kept her back turned.

"It was my fault," Chloe told him in a whisper, finally turning. She kept her eyes on the floor and Clark wished she'd look at him. Only then could he judge how she was really taking this.

Clark closed the distance between them, laying a hand on her shoulder. "This is not your fault, Chloe." He'd meant it as a comforting statement, but it only made Chloe more adamant.

"No, no. It was a warning. That's what the note said," Chloe answered through clenched teeth, lifting her head to look at Clark. The tears clinging to her lashes made her eyes shimmer prettily even as they swirled with remorse and self-blame.

"What note?" Clark asked. Chloe quickly told him about the flowers and the knife and the note that came with them.

"God, Chloe. That's horrible. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Clark kneaded her arms gently before pulling her in close and wrapping his arms around her.

"No, Clark, I'm not okay!" Chloe exclaimed, her voice muffled by his hard yet comfy shoulder. "My assistant was murdered because Oliver and I refuse to give in to this sadistic freak!"

Chloe finally broke into tears, burying her face against Clark's scratchy coat. Her hands fisted in the material of his coat, mirroring the anger Chloe was feeling inside. Clark laid his chin atop of Chloe's head, nestling it closer to his heart. He couldn't fix this. And he didn't know how to make it better. He made a mental note to dig up all he could on this Dr. Mickler when he got back to the Planet. Odds were, the good doctor was somehow behind this.

"Where is Oliver, anyway?" Clark questioned a few minutes later when she'd quieted. Chloe was his girlfriend and she was in danger and upset. He should be here, Clark thought angrily.

"He's in Starr City. He had a very important meeting with his shareholders. I haven't called him yet," Chloe replied quietly, playing with the buttons on Clark's dress shirt as she remained in his arms.

"Why not? He needs to know, Chloe. He'd want to be here with you."

"I know, but all he'd do is re-evolve into a cave man and that is not what I need right now," answered Chloe as she pushed away from him. Clark dropped his arms reluctantly, regretting mentioning Oliver at all. "Could I ask you a favor?"

"Of course," Clark replied.

"Could you run me home? I want to see the boys."

"Yeah, Chloe. Anything you need." Clark waited as Chloe gathered her things and then took her hand. He led her out of the doors, the two security guards standing at attention on either side.

"Ms. Sullivan?" One of them spoke as Clark continued to make his way with Chloe toward the service stairs.

"It's okay, Krenshaw. Clark is a really good friend of mine and Oliver's. He's going to take me home," Chloe stopped to explain quickly.

"We'll have an escort detail ready in a moment then," Krenshaw said as he pressed a hand to his ear and turned his head to speak into the discreet lapel mic.

"No, Krenshaw. If this man is watching, he'll know I'm leaving when he sees a presidential motorcade a few feet behind. Clark can get me out without anyone noticing. Trust me on this. Oliver will be fine with it," Chloe finished, laying a hand on top of the bulky man's forearm.

"You call me when you get home, okay?" Krenshaw whispered. Clark caught the affection warming the older man's voice and smirked as he covered Chloe's hand with his own. Chloe seemed to inspire warmth in everyone she knew, even among the heartiest of men, Clark thought, picturing Perry White.

"Top of my speed dial," Chloe said with a sunny smile as she stood up on her tip toes and pecked his cheek, causing the older man to blush and sputter as she walked back to join Clark by the service stairs. With a parting smile, Chloe slipped her hand into Clark's again, obediently following Clark up the stairs.

"Clark," Chloe started hesitantly. "Where are we going?" She questioned, still continuing to march behind him toward the roof exit. She'd expected him to go down behind Isis, to the alleyway where the dumpsters were located, but instead Clark was cresting the stairs to the red exit door.

"I'm taking you home," Clark answered simply.

"I was thinking the Kent Express, but I'm starting to get the feeling. . ." Chloe's voice died as she took in the enigmatic grin Clark was shooting her as he pushed open the door and stepped outside.

"How about a round trip on Kent Airlines?"

Chloe stopped abruptly just over the threshold of the metal door opening onto the roof. "Why didn't you tell me? When did you earn your wings?" She fired excitedly.

"While I was in training. Don't ask me how either, Chloe, because I don't know. Just one day it all clicked and I broke Newton's Law of Physics," Clark explained, gripping her hand and walking with her out into the dappled sunlight coming through high, fluffy white clouds.

"No one will see us, will they?" Chloe asked with a momentary concern for Clark's secret.

"No. I can fly as fast as I can run," Clark reassured her, although he didn't care if someone saw them. Chloe called him. She didn't call Lois, she didn't call Oliver, she called him. True, he called her first, but that didn't matter. He was the one who was picking up the pieces, just like he used to. With gentle efficiency, Clark caught Chloe's waist in one arm, hooking the other under her knees, lifting her up without any effort at all.

Chloe cuddled up in Clark's arms, trying to ignore her increasing heart rate again. She tucked her arms behind his neck and her breath caught as Clark leaned down, his lips just a whisper from her own.

"Ready for take off?" He teased. Chloe nodded nervously. "Okay, hold on tight and close your eyes."

"Why?" Chloe demanded. Trepidation, even though she was held securely in Clark's arms, was filling her stomach.

"Because I don't want you to get motion sickness or your eyeballs drying out from the speed," Clark explained patiently. Chloe nodded again, swallowing convulsively. She tucked her head into the crook of Clark's neck, smelling the woodsy cologne he'd applied that morning. Chloe felt Clark squat a tiny bit, gathering momentum before he seemed to shoot into the air. Squealing a tiny bit, Chloe crawled closer inside Clark's arms, tightening her grip on his neck.

"You better be glad I don't need oxygen," Clark husked due to the pressure she was exerting on his windpipe. "You can open your eyes now."

Chloe tentatively opened her eyes, gazing at Clark's overcoat. Slowly, with her head still pressed against Clark's shoulder, she rotated her face, her eyes looking out.

"Oh my heavens," she gasped. All around them, clouds of all shapes and sizes floated. Chloe craned her neck over to look down. Her stomach did a flip when she saw nothing below Clark's shiny dress shoes. "How high up are we?"

"High enough in the clouds for no one to see us and you can still breathe, but low enough not to interfere with air traffic," Clark answered.

"Wow," Chloe breathed, unable to say anything else. "Wow."

"Chloe Sullivan speechless. Never thought I would see this day."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Wow," she said again.

"You want to take the scenic route?" Clark asked as Chloe twisted all around to look as he began to aviate east, toward Smallville.

"Oh, I would love to, but-"

"I know. You want to see Connor and Kaid. Hold on," Clark told her. Chloe clutched him again and tucked her head once more. Minutes later she felt Clark land. "Did you enjoy your flight?"

Chloe lifted her head and looked around the scenery of the farm. Her anxiety drained at the sight of her peaceful home. Clark dropped her knees and slowly lowered Chloe to her feet, his arm still securely around her waist. "I'd travel with you again," she replied playfully, her arms still locked around his neck. "Thanks, Clark."

"You're welcome," Clark replied, gazing down into her eyes. He'd been longing to share his new and final ability with her, like all the things they'd shared in the past. Clark realized they were alone, something they hadn't been since the day after he returned. It was her and the kids or her and Oliver or all of them and Lois. He was constantly surrounded by people, a definite change from the solitary days he'd spent, aloof from others. Clark liked the quiet that enveloped them. Not for the first time, he thought of the way it should have been. He should have only been gone two years and when he came back, he and Chloe would have spent days and weeks, maybe even months, alone before allowing the world back in. However, as everything in his life, the option he wanted now didn't exist. Chloe had Oliver and they had Connor and Kaid, which caused him to withdraw.

His action reminded Chloe they were standing really close, staring into each other eyes as the two were lost in their own thoughts. She lowered her eyes and arms, stepped carefully away from him, clearing her throat nervously. There was no denying the person she wanted with her when she'd learned of Jillian's murder was Clark. She fought it, knowing she was still wrestling within her mind on her choice. One that could keep her from Clark. Of their own accord, Chloe's eyes traveled upward. Clark was still looking at her, allowing her to finally see his true feelings. Anger was there, but so was regret and affection. They made her feel guilty. She wanted him, not Oliver. She loved him, not Oliver. She was the mother of Clark's children, not Oliver's. Everything in her cried out for her to tell him right now. But could he handle both? Could he love her, love their sons, have a family and save the world? And bigger than that, would he? All their history happened so long ago, but as she stood there with him, her young, insecure self came spilling out, reminding her of all the times she'd been only second best in his eyes. He would be so angry when he knew she'd made the decision for both of them. And what happens when he finds out? a little voice nagged. Because he will, even if you don't tell him. Clark spent too much time with her sons these days not to eventually notice Connor could lift Chloe's car above his head. Or that Kaid could give him a run for his money in a 10k. As the two grew older their hair would darken. It already had compared to when they were born. The noses, their cheeks, their jaws all belonged to Clark. One of these days he'd recognize himself hiding in their sweet faces. Chloe brought up a hand, running her fingers along his high cheekbone.

"Clark, there is something I-"

A shrill ring erupted from his pocket. Clark groaned, missing the way Chloe's eyes squeezed shut or the way her shoulders slumped. Her hand slipped down to her side. "Probably your slave driver of a cousin." The phone came out of his pocket and Clark pressed it to his ear. "What is it, Lois?" Clark questioned in annoyance. Chloe could hear Lois' excited voice on the other end. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah. I'm on my way back. Chloe?" Clark's eyes found hers. His were back to the placid sea green. "She's fine. I'll tell her. And I'll tell you when I get back."

"Gotta fly?" Chloe assumed as Clark dropped the cell phone back in his pocket.

"Yeah. Lois says to tell you she'll call you later. A source filled her in on Jillian's murder."

Chloe nodded, sadness filling her again as she was reminded of her quiet assistant. "Is everything else okay?"

"Lois also got a tip that something is going down big with the Snake Eyes Gang on the west end. Looks like one of their big wigs just got retaliated against. You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. I'm going to go get the boys and we'll head over to Granville and play hookie at their favorite arcade," Chloe told him with forced cheerfulness.

"Have a good time," Clark replied with a smile. He turned on a heel but stopped a few feet from her, looking back over his shoulder. "Hey, did you want to tell me something?"

Chloe did a mental scramble to find something to tell him. "Will I see you at the meeting tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Clark grinned. He rose into the sky and waved before he took off like a shot.

* * *

"You should have called me, Chloe," were the first words out of Oliver's mouth when he strode through the double doors of Watchtower. Bart, who had been showing Chloe the newest dance step he'd learned from a salsa dancer in Madrid, released Chloe so fast from a spin that she continued on, stopping only when caught by Oliver who snatched her securely into his own arms.

Chloe's sharp retort quelled under Oliver's stormy gaze. "How did you find out?" She asked weakly instead.

"Hey, we're running low on heroes here. I think I'll go find some!" Bart exclaimed before he vanished in a breeze of his new strong, Spanish cologne. Down on the steps of the building, he intercepted Dinah and Clark who had walked over together from the Planet.

"Yo, amigos! Let's go grab a bite. I'm starved!" Bart made a grand gesture of taking both Dinah and Clarks' arms to lead them away from Watchtower.

"What else is new?" Clark muttered, allowing Bart to steer him down the sidewalk.

Dinah, on the other hand, had different ideas. Pulling her arm away, she retraced her steps back to the entry stoop of the elegant brick building. "Is Chloe here yet? I want to make some changes to my uniform and would like a female perspective."

"Not a good idea, Kitchens," Bart, using the annoying nickname he'd granted her, called from a few feet away where he and Clark stalled. She never had her throwing knives on her when she needed them, Dinah thought hotly.

"What's going on Bart?" Clark asked, picking up on Bart's slightly more than normal agitation.

"El Capitan and El Presidente are having a go," Bart answered.

"Good grief, Bart! Tell me you didn't bust in on them again!" Dinah exclaimed as Clark and Bart joined her back in front of Watchtower. Clark acted as if he had not heard what she just said. The last thing he needed was the mental image of Chloe and Oliver, which he'd been very lucky to avoid so far.

"No!" Bart said quickly. "They're fighting."

The way Bart almost whispered the word, like it was a dirty one his mama would wash his mouth out for using, Clark knew that for Chloe and Oliver, fighting was a seldom occurrence. Knowing he shouldn't but perking his ears up anyway, the harried voices of his friends' filtered in.

"I don't see what the big deal is Oliver! I called Krenshaw, he came right over. No harm, no foul," Chloe said.

"No 'no harm, no foul'," Oliver snorted, raising his voice an octave, mocking Chloe. "That crazy son of a b***** killed your assistant today and sent you the murder weapon as some kind of warning! You're not going back to Isis until the bastard is caught, Chloe. I mean it. If I have to hold you prisoner all damn day you won't set one foot outside the house until Mickler shares a cell with his boss!"

"Oliver, you have got to calm down," Chloe pleaded softly, trying to soothe Oliver's frayed nerves. "I called Krenshaw, he and his men came right over. Clark took me home-"

"You called Clark?"

Clark felt his insides curl when he heard the obvious hurt in Oliver's voice.

"No, he called me for lunch and-"

"But he's the one you wanted to come and-"

"Oliver-"

"Chloe, you want to be with Clark! I can see it! Why settle for me when you can have the man you've loved your whole life? I want you to be happy!" Oliver cried, but it wasn't in anger. He sounded tired, as if he and Chloe had had this argument before.

"You know why I'm-"

"What are we all doing out here?" AC asked pleasantly when he and Victor appeared outside Watchtower with Dinah and Bart.

"Oliver and Chloe are fighting and Clark is listening in," Dinah replied in her velvety alto.

"I am not!" Clark exclaimed, reverting back to grade school as he blushed a bright red in front of his fellow heroes. Oliver and Chloe's escalating voices faded, being replaced with the casual chatter of the group surrounding him. Canary, Impulse, Aquaman, Cyborg and Boyscout all stood staggered on the six cement steps that led up into Watchtower in street clothes, catching up with each other while giving their two pillars time to work through whatever the issue was.

"What were they fighting over, Kent?" Victor asked.

Clark cleared his throat. "Chloe's assistant was murdered this morning."

"Oh, god. Jillian?" Dinah joined the two men with obvious concern. "Then what the hell are we all doing down here? We should be up there with them! Gaw, Bart, I thought they were fighting over something personal!"

"Hold up, Dinah." Clark laid a hand on her arm, stilling her. He listened closely again.

"Oliver, if you want to leave then leave, but don't use Connor and Kaid as an excuse," Chloe said icily. Clark heard sharp footsteps and then a door slam.

He crinkled his brow. "Do they fight a lot?" He asked Dinah quietly, not wanting to be overhead by the others.

"Hardly ever. Were they really fighting because of Chloe's assistant?"

"Most of it was," Clark answered vaguely.

"Some of it about you?" Dinah questioned with knowing eyes.

"Sometimes, Dinah, you know too much. I think it's safe now," Clark said to the rest. As a group, they made their way inside and up the four, deep mahogany stairways to the top apartment, an open, two level loft floor plan with it's own black iron spiraled staircase. Clark and Dinah were the first inside, pushing the double doors open to reveal only Oliver, bow and arrow clutched in his hand. He pointed a remote at the second level and a ratty cardboard square with a red target painted on it's surface lowered itself.

"Nice of you all to join us," he snapped, raising his bow arm and taking aim. His arrow zinged through the air and sank deep inside the bull's eye. Clark swallowed uncomfortably as Oliver looked him in the eye. For a moment, the two men sized each other up. Clark knew Oliver could not physically harm him, but in this second, Clark waited for Oliver to make a move, just to lash out at the man he was fighting with his girlfriend over, only a few inches from him. But all Oliver did was smile sadly at Clark, like Clark was the one who got the small end of the wishbone at Thanksgiving.

"Ollie, I just heard about Jillian," Dinah called out to Oliver, who turned to face her. She stood half-way up the spiral staircase, poised to go further. "Is Chloe in the War Room?"

"Yes. She's printing up some blue prints," Oliver confirmed. The target, arrow and all, disappeared as Oliver pressed the remote again and he stored his practice bow in a small linen closet off to the side. Dinah nodded and continued her ascent. Watchtower, in Clark's absence, had become the hub of the Justice League. The second level was split off into two sections, one being what they all called the War Room. When on missions, it was the room Chloe operated in, directing and managing as her band of heroes carried out their specified duties. All equipment was portable and could be moved or stored at a moments notice. The other section had been christened The Observation Deck as it was where most of the high tech computers were and the security system and feeds for Watchtower, the farm, Isis and Oliver's loft to name a few. It was built just to the right of the breath-taking stained glass window, looking down and out at all Metropolis, resembling Chloe's Isis office in a way.

Oliver and Clark were currently standing in the Situation Room. It was the octagonally shaped room everyone walked into as they entered, filled with comfy looking couches and chairs. Most of their meetings were held in this space as the Leaguers lounged around barefooted or with canned beverages in their hands. They were also briefed here, as well. Or congregated socially when there was nothing else to do. Over behind a wall, was a large remodeled kitchen and dining area, not visible until you turned a corner. And finally, all the levels below were renovated vacant apartments with functioning bathrooms. Just in case Watchtower ever had guests.

Clark cleared his throat and took a seat in an overstuffed recliner. Bart, who had been rummaging in the kitchen, joined him, sitting on the floor as he spread his carpet picnic of Doritos, a can of Pepsi and an entire package of Chips Ahoy! before him.

"Hey, Jolly," Bart called out to Oliver, who rolled his eyes at the name.

"Yeah?"

"You and Chloe good or do we need to avoid minefields?"

"Way to be tactful, Bart," Clark hissed.

"I'm just wondering where I need to tread lightly-"

Oliver boomed, "Huddle up, guys!", effectively cutting Bart off. AC and Victor, who had been up on the deck playing video games skipped down the stairs followed by a very sexy Dinah in all black. The three took assorted seats all around, Oliver standing as their General, pacing around the space. He counted, noticing they were still missing their little blonde. "Did you find Chloe?" Oliver directed at Dinah.

"She was in the War Room. She should be out soon. She was still translating the Russian into English in order to find the specific blue print you wanted," Dinah answered as she sat down and crossed her legs next to Victor and incidentally, next to Bart who was eying her slim legs coming out of her knee length skirt. "Think about it and you'll find out there is more than one meaning to the term 'blue balls'," she muttered dangerously, causing Bart to give a good-natured glower.

"I'll give her a couple more minutes before we begin," Oliver told the group. He walked over and leaned against the doorframe as the others began to talk among themselves. The group tonight, what Oliver called his elite group, was smaller than normal. The people he started with and trusted the most. He would rather work with just these six, than bring in the others. And with the information Oliver had received today, he needed people who knew already how to work well together. Bruce was still somewhat of a loose cannon and the others were trying to find their place among the group.

Clark was about to join Oliver, just to shoot the breeze and calm the waters, when AC asked him, "So when we are going to see some Red Blue Blurry action again?"

"I don't think the Red Blue Blur will be making anymore appearances," Clark answered.

"You can't be serious, Clark," a stern female voice floated down. Six heads turned sharply upward as Chloe descended around the spiral staircase, a thick, rolled up paper scroll thing tucked under her arm. He'd seen her only a few hours before, but the sight of her now made his breath catch. Chloe looked eighteen again. She'd gotten her hair cut and colored between when he dropped her at home and now, the now nearly platinum blonde strands swinging just above her neckline in a blunt swing cut. She was dressed in comfy looking black sweat pants topped with a simple long sleeve blouse the color of bubblegum that brought out the natural rosiness in her complexion. Chloe looked as if she was wandering around her house doing laundry instead of co-chairing a very important strategical meeting. There was nothing special about this moment, other than the fact Clark felt as if he'd been transported back about twelve years. "Hi, everybody."

"My Chloelicious is back!" Bart cat-called as she finally stepped in the midst of them. Chloe laughed merrily, feeling a warmth suffuse her at the name she hadn't heard since she'd had the twins.

"I needed a change," Chloe explained vaguely, handing the plans quickly to Oliver before she sat on the arm of Clark's chair. She turned immediately to Clark, pulling her feet up that were encased in simple black ankle socks and setting them in Clark's lap. "Now, what is this about no more heroics for old Red and Blue? I thought you went to training to perfect your abilities and come back to use them to save humanity? How can you do that from behind a desk, Clark?"

Clark glanced quickly at all the other people surrounding them, their expressions matching Chloe's. "I don't mean that I'm not going to use my abilities," Clark spoke hurriedly, watching his friends visibly relax. "The Red Blue Blur was a different time, a different hero. I don't know yet how I'm going to do it but I do know it's going to be something other than the Red Blue Blur. Plus, don't we already have a blur?"

"I'm actually more of a flash than a blur, but you've been out for a while, so I'll forgive you that one, Boyscout," piped Bart. "And there's nothing blue about me," he said pointedly at Dinah who rolled her eyes.

"So when do we get a glimpse of this new Super Alter Ego of yours, Clark?" Oliver asked, not taking his eyes from the prints he held up to the light.

"Soon. I'm waiting for the right moment," Clark answered, hoping to stem all other questions for the time being. "But I'm guessing Oliver didn't call this meeting to discuss my second coming out into the hero world."

"You're right, I didn't," Oliver started. The Leaguers turned their attention to the tall blonde man as he stepped in the middle of the seating area. "I got some news from my contact inside the prison that Lex is stepping up his efforts to escape. His Russian playmates are very eager for this to happen. They can not complete their work without certain items from him."

"He's not still working with his life-size human dolls, is he? I thought we blew that lab off the face of the earth?" Victor asked the question all of them were thinking.

"No, this is something different. It seems, from what my contact keeps feeding me, it's something about a weapon. The Ultimate Weapon, is what keeps popping up between Lex and his visitor."

"Wait," Chloe stopped Oliver. Two things bothered her. First was this Ultimate Weapon. That phrase had been volleyed around so much right before and after Lionel Luthor's death almost ten years ago. Clark was the Ultimate Weapon. As if he could sense her thought process and her unease of someone being able to control him again, Clark began to massage Chloe's ankle. The gesture did not go unnoticed. The second thing to bother her was, "Why is he allowed visitors? I thought he was in isolation? No passing go, no collecting 200 dollars?"

Oliver gazed at Chloe, his eyes softening. He knew, better than anyone, how concerned Chloe was for Clark's safety. He, too, remembered when Lex or who they thought was Lex, was gunning for Clark. It must be a nightmare for her to practically be reliving it all over again so soon after his return. And he was about to make it worse because this time, it wasn't about Clark. "The man who has been allowed to see Lex is a licensed psychiatrist. His name is Dr. Vincent Mickler."

The room filled with silence. Everyone looked at Chloe. All knew the history between Dr. Mickler, Chloe and Oliver. He continued on, knowing he needed to let them in on all that he knew. "There's more. In every session, the 'Ultimate Weapon' phrase and 'blonde woman' seem to be almost synonymous to each of them now."

Every back went rim-rod straight, a high tension permeating the space and singing along nerve endings. No one more so than Clark. All he wanted to do was to wrap Chloe in his arms and fly them both as far away from this as he could. Why was it when he returned, did things start to speed into crisis mode? Clark scrubbed his face with his hands.

"Can you get his license revoked? Can we somehow get his visits either suspended or at least supervised?" Dinah asked quickly.

"How about I drown him?" AC suggested.

"I could fry is motherboard," Victor offered.

"No one threatens our Watchtower," Bart commented seriously.

"No one threatens Chloe," Clark growled.

"Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of pull. And neither does my contact. Chloe, do you have any idea what Lex is looking for or why he seems to think you'd be in possession of it?" Oliver asked, watching the way Clark's hand captured her ankle. As if realizing this was inappropriate, Clark's hand withdrew and Chloe whipped around and sank to the floor, putting at few inches between her and Clark.

"No," she answered truthfully. "But then again, Lex has always accused me of being a secret's best friend."

"Which you are," Clark finished for her.

"What's the plan, Oliver? We can't just sit here and wait for Lex to make his move. Especially since this Mickler guy already has it in for you and Chloe," AC said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Does anyone find it odd he seems to be targeting the Golden Couple of Metropolis and the two heads of the Justice League?" Dinah asked, the coincidence just occurring to her. "Do you think he knows anything? They found us that one time."

"That was when they were using my brain as their own personal phone book," Chloe reminded. "And Luthorcorp no longer exists. Any information on you guys was either destroyed or transferred here to Watchtower. You don't think he has any moles still in Queen Industries do you?" Chloe directed at Oliver.

"No, I've cleaned house. Basement to attic. And even if they did, they wouldn't find anything," Oliver told the group.

"So, what is the plan?" Clark asked.

"I don't have one," Oliver answered slowly. "We were already planning on heading over to Russia after the holidays, but now, with repeated mentions of this 'Ultimate Weapon', we may need to move at a moments notice. But until we know what that is, we're in limbo."

"Maybe I could investigate. I used to be pretty sharp," Chloe suggested.

"No!" Oliver and Clark exclaimed simultaneously. The two men's eyes met in agreement, though it was Oliver who continued. "I don't want you anywhere near this one, Chloe. Not when it turns out Lex and Mickler are still working together. In fact, I'm putting you on suspension for the time being. I want you to take some time off from work and from here."

"Does Jillian's murder have anything to do with this?" Bart asked Chloe.

"Maybe," Chloe answered.

"I'd put money on it. You got a note saying it was your last warning. They must think you know something," Clark inserted.

"Well, I'm drawing a blank. I don't know what Mickler or Lex could think I possess that is of any value to them," Chloe replied.

"I thought Mickler was targeting you because he wanted his job back. Could this weapon be a part of the labs in Queen Industries?" Victor offered.

"I had all of Mickler's work destroyed after he was fired," Oliver answered. "AC, Victor and Dinah, I want you three to come in tomorrow and go through all the labs, top to bottom again, see if we find anything. Clark, could you use the DP archives to go back through the old issues on Lex's trial? Lois wrote most of them so I know they're pretty detailed. Make copies and bring them to the farmhouse. Me, you and Chloe can comb through those, see if anything jumps out. I'm beginning to think this is starting to become about more than just a paycheck."

"Hey, boss man," Bart snipped. "What's my job?"

"I want you to tail Mickler. You're small and fast, but you will have to calm down the wardrobe," Oliver told him, motioning to the fire-engine red wind pants and matching tee Bart was currently dressed in.

"You have no style, but whatev, dude," Bart muttered.

"Aaaannnnd?" AC, Victor, Dinah, Bart, Clark and Oliver all looked at Chloe. "Come on, guys. I'm not totally useless just because I happen to be number one on Dr. Evil's Hit List again."

"Chloe, your job is to stay low, help me and Clark look through old papers and spend time with Connor and Kaid," Oliver said gently. "Do this for us, okay?" He asked, including the group in his nod.

"Fine," Chloe said grudgingly, crossing her arms and flopping back against the side of the recliner. The six other adults looked cautiously around at each other. It usually took a lot more convincing for Chloe to become a bench warmer. Still, most of them had the feeling the battle wasn't quite over yet.

* * *

"No, Henry," Martha Kent spoke sternly into her cell phone. "I told you. I have to get out to Smallville this week." She listened half-heartedly as her aide made another plea to postpone. "No. I have already postponed this trip out to Kansas two weeks longer than I intended. . . Just tell Chairman Gregory that there was a family emergency that needed my immediate attention. . . You know, Henry, just tell them my daughter's assistant was murdered if you must! Well, surprise for them, I do have a daughter. . . I'm at the airport, I have to let you go. Good-bye, Henry!"

With frustration, Martha snapped her phone shut and threw it into her carry on bag. It had been a full month since she'd seen her son and Clark still knew nothing. The first two weeks drug by and when Clark moved into the Talon, Martha knew it was time to take action. But on the eve of her original departure date, the party ramped up speed on many projects to get finished and passed before the holiday break. So, Martha postponed.

It was one morning, sitting at her kitchen table, reading the Daily Planet when she saw it. 'Killer Shower: The Murder of a High Profile Assistant', the head line read, written by none other than Clark Kent and Lois Lane. She could tell Clark had tried to be as delicate as possible, given who the deceased had been and to whom. Speed reading, gleaning only the particulars, Martha knew she needed to speak to Chloe right away. The girl's life was beginning to slowly unravel what with the murder of her assistant, threatening letters and the return of the boy she first loved who was coincidentally the real father of her twin sons. Chloe would need to talk and so did Martha. The thought 'kill two birds with one stone', came to her mind.

"Thank you," Martha said and handing the driver two fifties, she stepped out of the cab. Hitching the carry on bag higher on her shoulder, Martha made her way into the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to catch her flight to Metropolis, Kansas.

**A/N: And the plot thickens. Also, for anyone who is wondering, Dinah's nickname 'Kitchens' comes from the line in the children's song 'someone's in the kitchen with Dinah' from "Working On The Railroad". Oliver's nickname 'Jolly' is from the Jolly Green Giant, just in case no one else follows my thinking pattern.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

October 31st, the fourth day of Chloe's semi-voluntary vacation and she was going stir crazy. She'd allowed herself a week off from work but that amount of time wasn't good enough for either Oliver or Clark. The two men marked off one whole month and Chloe thought seriously of kicking both of them in the shins. One would go down with a grimace but the other would just stand there and smirk. Stupid Kryptonian. Instead, she took it like a grown-up and gathered up some work to keep her occupied at the house. Every day she worked a little and cleaned a lot. By yesterday, the house was so clean the military could conduct highly classified experiments on her kitchen counters. Every night, she, Clark and Oliver were combing through issues of the Planet, looking for any and all clues. Nothing had surfaced yet. Dinah, Victor and AC hadn't found anything worthwhile either in the labs of Queen Industries or in the old log books and files kept around the time Dr. Mickler had been employed. As for Dr. Mickler himself, Bart reported nothing suspicious on his part. Just sat alone in the park eating lunch or late nights spent in some of the seedier bars in the lower quarter of the city. To top it all off, Det. Hudson called the other day, informing Chloe of Dr. Mickler's airtight alibi for the time of Jillian's death. Vincent Mickler was booked for public intoxication and indecency at 4:37 am. No one had any leads. So now, all Chloe could do was sit. Sit and stew.

Currently, she was stewing on a bar stool, gazing inattentively at the obscure Robert Downey Jr. movie being played on TCM with muted sound. He was running around in a white cocktail jacket looking very young and baby faced. It was a Saturday morning and the house was eerily quiet compared to ten minutes ago before Chloe had sent the boys outside to play while she attempted to concentrate on some paperwork Gladys sent her. More contracts and billing agreements should Isis win the grant money. So much had happened since the last time she thought of the grant, she was slightly confused when Oliver handed the brown work folder to her last night. With a sigh, Chloe pushed herself off the stool and made the short trip to the dining table where presently, her work was all spread out. With a glance to her right, the clock on the wall read 9:45. Seven hours and forty-five minutes. Chloe was counting down the hours before she would leave and meet Oliver for the annual Halloween Costume Ball given by Queen Industries. It was the only event thrown by Oliver where there was not a benefiting party, just a social excuse for the elite class of Metropolis to gather and rub elbows with each other. Chloe hated it. But this year, it would be a welcome distraction and an excuse to leave a house she hadn't been out of in four days. Taking a seat facing the window, Chloe glanced out through the glass pane to catch a glimpse of her boys. She saw them quickly disappear into the barn in separate green and blue blurs and then back out again, in a game of tag. A soft grin spread across her face and Chloe felt lighter for the next couple of hours as she buried herself in her work. Making many little bullet points on a yellow writing pad, Chloe saw she needed to go retrieve the company handbook she'd stashed in the back of her closet a couple of years ago. The clock told her she would need to call the boys in for lunch in about half an hour. But before she forgot, Chloe ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

Opening the closet door, Chloe began to go through some container boxes on the floor. She couldn't remember where she'd left it. Not finding the purple booklet there, she stood to her tip toes and began sifting through the loose stuff on the top shelf. She saw it, finally, the purple corner peeking out from under a medium sized shoe box. Chloe grasped the visible corner of the plastic notebook and yanked, bringing it down and the shoe box along with it. The box landed with a thud and a shatter. Throwing aside the handbook, Chloe knelt and lifted the lid of the box. The Blue Kryptonite bracelet sat within. Chloe picked it up gingerly, revealing the picture beneath the shattered glass. She hadn't seen either one since she'd banished them both to that shelf a few years ago. She stood to her feet, the bracelet in one hand and the picture, a favorite of hers, in the other. Her and Clark stood inches apart in a field, Crater Lake looming behind them. He was looking down at her and she was looking up at him. The affection the two had for each other was easily readable on their faces. She wondered who had taken the picture and at what point in their lives was this. She could tell they were not very much younger than when Clark left.

Her thumb smoothed over the stone, thoughts and images Chloe locked long ago deep inside her mind came swimming to the surface. Chloe actually hadn't thought of that night in a while, even with Clark's return. Her mind had been filled with the best interest for the boys or murderous activities of psychotic lap-dogs. But now, Chloe stood in her bedroom, holding things that tied her to a life she had given up all hope of ever having.

The door bell rang downstairs.

Shaking her head, Chloe replaced the broken picture frame and the Kryptonite back into the box and put it back on the shelf. She scooped the handbook up off the floor and made her way to the front door. Looking out through the faceted glass, she saw Martha Kent. Chloe opened the door.

"Martha!" Chloe exclaimed happily. "Come in!"

Chloe stood aside and allowed the older woman to enter before shutting the door. She walked quickly ahead of Martha into the kitchen, searching the outside for any signs of her sons. "Sorry about the mess," Chloe began, motioning to the papers and things scattered across the dining table. "I was just about to make some lunch. I wish you'd told me you were coming. I would have had something special ready!"

Martha watched Chloe flutter around the kitchen. Her eyes were too bright again. "That's okay, Chloe. It was a spur of the moment trip. I heard about you assistant," Martha told her, laying a hand on Chloe's slim shoulder, stilling her hurried ministrations of cleaning. "I am so sorry."

Chloe allowed herself to be halted. Jillian had been in the back of her mind all week. A ball of guilt still sat heavy in her stomach, making her feel there was still something she could have done to prevent what had happened. Her funeral had been three days ago. Chloe had gone, flanked by both Oliver and Clark. The service had been small, the crowd even smaller. Chloe cried with shame while she stood at the graveside. Oliver had disappeared, not surprisingly, leaving her to Clark, who pulled her against his strong body.

"Thank you," Chloe replied softly, breaking out of the memory to continue cleaning up her work related mess. "I appreciate you coming out but you didn't need to make a special trip. I know how busy you are."

"Oh, I needed the break," Martha said, leaning against the counter, peering curiously around for any sightings of Connor or Kaid. It was now or never. "So, where are my grand-kids?"

"Probably in the barn. They love jumping down from the loft into those loose hay ba-" Chloe cut herself off. Swallowing, she turned slowly. Martha stood a few feet from her, her back resting against the worn wooden beam. Her face held almost unspeakable fury. Chloe felt her insides begin to shrivel. "Mrs. Kent-"

"You can still call me Martha, Chloe. You are the mother of my grandsons, for goodness sake," Martha interrupted harshly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Chloe abandoned her busy-ness of gathering papers together. She ducked her head and toed the floor with her bare foot. She answered Martha's question with one of her own. "How did you find out?"

Martha fought hard to keep her anger from leaving her. She wasn't done being mad yet. "The night Clark came to see me." Chloe's head shot up. "He told me what happened between the two of you before he left. Oh, Chloe. I was furious with you the next day."

"I'm so sorry, Martha," Chloe apologized in a rush. "I never to meant to lie to you. Anyone, in fact, but especially not you. I just thought-"

"You thought it would be easier? Easier until Clark came back?"

Chloe nodded mutely.

"But it wasn't, was it?" Martha admonished.

"No," Chloe answered simply.

"Secrets carried alone never are. Come on, honey. Let's sit down," Martha suggested, unable to keep her maternal instincts stamped down any longer. She closed the space between her and Chloe, leading the pale girl to a kitchen chair. Martha quickly put on a pot of tea to soothe their frazzled nerves. Like it or not, even if Chloe had been lying to her for the past eight years, she was the closest thing Martha had to a daughter. And it wasn't like Martha was a stranger to secrets, either. She took the seat beside Chloe and reached out for her hands. "A couple of days ago I would have been so sure you knew that. It takes almost a whole squadron to protect Clark and now you have two more little ones zipping around who are going to need an army. I'm pretty sure they have at least some of Clark's abilities?"

"They have the speed and strength. Clark told me his others didn't sprout up until he was older. And for all we know, they may never have those," Chloe hastened to add.

"Chloe, these are Clark's children. Odds are they will possess everything he does," Martha replied. "It must have been hard all these years. Protecting Connor and Kaid from the outside world, lying to the people who love the three of you."

"Not everyone," Chloe replied with hesitation.

"So Oliver knows," Martha said in relief.

"Yes!" Chloe responded vehemently. How could Martha think she would lie about the father of her children? She may not own up to it, but Clark was Daddy. She would never allow another man to hold that title. "He's always known they were Clark's. Martha, there is something you need to know about Oliver-"

"You mean, that he's the Green Arrow?"

Chloe gazed at Martha Kent. Did the woman really just know everything?

"Clark let me in on the little group Mr. Queen put together," Martha continued. "I met AC and Bart and Victor when each of them blew through Smallville at one time or another. And I still see them whenever they come through D.C. on occasion."

"Is Oliver aware you know?" Chloe asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. If he does, it's only because Clark mentioned it to him."

"So, you also know that I'm. . ."

"What they call Watchtower? Yes, I know that, too. Just because I left Kansas doesn't mean I went to Oz, Chloe. I've kept close watch on my home and my kids," she told Chloe with an extra squeeze of her hand. "Which is why I was so shocked about Connor and Kaid. Who else knows they belong to Clark?"

"Me, of course. You, now. Oliver, Bart and Lois," Chloe ticked off on her fingers.

"Lois? Does she know what the boys can do?" Martha voiced warily. Chloe, through many obstacles, gained the Kents' trust, something not earned easily. Lois, well, Martha loved Lois, but the woman's mouth was sometimes more trouble than it was worth.

"No," Chloe answered quickly. "Only Bart and Oliver. Knowing what the boys can do would open up too many questions about Clark and that is not my secret to tell."

It reminded Martha strongly about the reason her and Jonathon had kept all their own family at arm's length for most of Clark's childhood. At that thought, all anger finally seeped from Martha. "Chloe, I don't think I've ever really appreciated just how much you've given up for Clark. I was his mother, it comes with the territory. But you. . . It's not fair to expect you to lie and cover up so many things when you've gotten so little in return."

"No, Martha. You're wrong. I've gotten so many gifts. Namely those two little boys outside. Clark's my best friend. His secret has given me the opportunity to help the world as much as is humanly possible. The night I saw Clark catch that car was the second best thing to ever happen to me," Chloe said, repeating almost verbatim what she'd said to Clark right before she got married. Silence enveloped them until Chloe remembered why Martha had made her trek to Smallville. "Not to sound ungrateful, but what is with the benevolent mother act? I thought you said you were furious with me?"

Martha met Chloe's eyes. She'd come to Smallville today looking for a fight. Chloe had always been a take-charge-now-and-ask-questions-later kind of girl and it worked for her. Her judgment was usually dead on, it was hard to argue with her. Martha was used to seeing a Chloe who stood by her decisions, firing reason after reason, backing it up. What she never expected was to find a girl who was remorseful and looked, well, lost. Chloe hid it well over the years, but sitting across the table from Martha, the older woman could read it in her eyes. Chloe was looking for guidance and Martha wanted to help her find the right path. The path leading to her son. The kettle on the stove whistled, as if signaling the end of a boxing round. Martha stood, leaving Chloe sitting at the table, watching her with apprehension as Martha turned the burner off under the kettle. She got two teacups out of the cabinet and brought the delicate china back to the table with her. Patiently, she poured hot liquid into each cup. "Sugar?" she asked before dropping one spoonful into each dark pool.

After a few more moments of silence, when Martha was done stirring the sugar into her tea, she began to speak again, feeling a calmness settle over her. "I was furious with you. For eight years you allowed me to believe that Connor and Kaid were Oliver's sons. Looking back and going over things, you never once said he was in fact the father, but letting me assume was almost as bad as lying right to my face. I was so angry that I had every intention of marching straight down here and giving you a tongue lashing like you would never believe."

"Why don't you? I deserve it," Chloe said softly.

"Oh, honey. Three things are stopping me," Martha answered, rubbing Chloe's hand again.

"What are they?"

"Well, one," Martha held up a finger. "Being that you must have one heck of a guilty conscience already. The girl who always would seek truth and justice as a teenager grew up to be a woman who fights for it. I see so much of myself in you, Chloe. I know lying goes against our nature, but sometimes, to protect those we love, we are forced to. And you must be stressed and scared anyway having to deal with Connor and Kaid by yourself, I figure that is punishment enough without having me pointing fingers." Martha stopped and took a sip. Chloe waited for her to continue.

"The second reason is you've given me something I never thought I'd have. For years, Jonathon and I tried and tried until we found out I was unable to conceive. We looked into adopting but it wasn't practical with the finances of the farm. And then one horrific day, Clark came to us. Out of some horrible tragedy we were gifted a child. As Clark got older, it became clear to us he would never lead a normal life. He probably would never get married, build a life with someone or have children of his own. All I have ever wanted for Clark was happiness. If he had never saved a single life, I would have been just as proud of him as I am today. But that is not his nature. And I could tell Clark had the same questions about his future that Jonathon and I had. With his abilities, I always thought he would spend the rest of his days alone. Sure, he'd have me and you and the others, but none of that compares to having a family. I don't know how it happened, but somehow, you were able to bring two little miracles into this world. You've given Clark not only one, but two sons, something he or I never believed he could have. He won't be alone anymore."

"And the third?" Chloe was having a hard time seeing through the water gathering in her eyes. She'd wanted to tell Martha so many times but had never worked up the nerve. She didn't expect Martha to act like this. She'd expected her to be angry and to yell. Instead, Chloe was being lovingly reprimanded.

"The third reason," Martha started, setting her teacup down and making sure she had Chloe's full attention. The blonde woman looked back her, face open, listening to her every word. Martha had fought her instinct all the way down here. Should she reveal what Clark told her in confidence? She had to. It was the only way to see how Chloe truly felt about him. Martha didn't think Chloe would have held on so tightly to Clark's memory for the many years after he left had she not been in love with him. When she'd mentioned to Martha off-handedly about Clark's things, it had been two or three weeks before Oliver and Chloe were spotted together. Martha realized she'd let go of Clark to embrace a life with Oliver Queen. But now that Clark was back and obviously loved her very much, could that be changed?

"The third reason," Martha repeated. "Is that Clark loves you."

Chloe sat back. How many times would she be forced to hear this? Why was everyone so convinced that Clark loved her when it plainly wasn't true? But Martha Kent, being front row and center to the Chloe Loves Clark Who Loves Lana concert, knew better. Yes, Clark loved her. But not the way Chloe loved him. And not the way Chloe needed to be loved by him. Many times over the past month, Chloe thought she'd seen flashes of something in his eyes. The day Clark flew her home after Jillian had been killed, the emotions she'd seen on his face made Chloe think maybe he did love her the way she'd always wanted him to. But how could she be sure? The insecurities of her young teenage-self reared their heads, making her feel immature and angst-ridden once more. She was a thirty year old mother, for gosh sakes! How could she be embroiled in this high school drama of 'The Tale of Unrequited Love' again? Chloe looked to Martha, unspoken questions in her eyes.

"He told me, Chloe. The day he came to see me, he told me. He was very bothered by the thought of you and Oliver. Since he doesn't know about his children, he feels the time you two shared meant nothing to you," Martha said.

"It meant everything!" Chloe exclaimed. "Martha, I had to move on. I didn't know if he would ever come back. The only way I could have any hope of being happy was to finally let go of Clark Kent. For my whole life, I've been trying to let him go. I've been trying to move on from Clark." Chloe's chair scarped the floor as she pushed back from the table and gained her feet. She paced to the other side of the kitchen, facing away from Martha. She'd always longed to hear what Martha was telling her. But could she believe it? Her heart told her yes, but her mind and wounded pride were disagreeing.

"Do you love him?" Martha asked quietly from her seat.

Chloe stood looking out the back door at the cool, sunny day. She could barely see the blurs that were her sons shooting out of the barn and then into a field and back again, Shelby hopelessly trying to keep up. What kind of question was that? Of course she loved him. Chloe had loved Clark from the day she set eyes on him. A tall, skinny, gangly kid all shrouded in flannel and awkwardness. She fell more madly in love with him the day he sat by her hospital bed and warily explained he was an alien from another planet that had saved her life countless upon countless times. And then, seven years and a couple of months ago, Chloe knew she would love Clark Kent until the day she died when she was handed their sons in matching blue blankets. She turned back to Martha. "I've never been able to stop."

Martha pushed out of her chair. She joined Chloe in front of the door and pulled the girl into her arms. Chloe didn't need to go into detail. Martha could see the all the love shining in Chloe's eyes, blinding anyone who would look at her. The two women hugged until a loud shout from the porch made them jump.

"Aunt Martha!" Kaid shouted before throwing open the door and wrapping his arms around her waist. Tears gathered again in Martha's eyes as she squeezed the little boy back. Connor followed, his own face brightening at the sight of Martha. He joined Kaid and Martha knelt down to better look at them It was Clark all over again. How had she not seen it before? She glanced over the boys' heads at Chloe, standing a few inches behind them.

"How long are you staying?"

"Will make us some cookies?"

"Come and see the garden! It looks really good!"

Connor and Kaid fired questions in rapid succession at Martha. All she could do was smile at them and stare since her throat was closed around the lump in it.

"Guys, why don't you let Martha settle in and I'll make some lunch in a minute. Hey, go check the garden for weeds and make sure it's up to Martha Kent Inspection Standards, okay?" With another hug each from Martha, the boys ran out, the kitchen door slamming after them.

"They don't know either, do they?" Martha asked as she and Chloe sat down in front of the cups again.

"No. I wanted to wait until they were older. The truth is I still don't know what to say. There was a time when I really didn't believe Clark would return," Chloe answered.

"When are you going to tell them?" Martha swallowed the rest of tea, watching Chloe sip hers slowly, avoiding her eyes. Martha spoke anxiously. "You are going to tell them? All of them?"

"I know I have to-"

"Yes, you have to! Chloe, how could even be questioning that?"

"I'm not, it's just. . ."

"Don't you dare tell me it's complicated, young lady. This is not complicated. Clark and you love each other and the two of you are parents. This is anything but complicated," Martha replied. "You're afraid of hurting Oliver, aren't you?"

"Actually, no," Chloe said with surprise. "Oliver and I were never serious. He cares about me and I care about him, but our relationship was formed out of loneliness. He wanted me to tell Clark the day Clark came back."

"Then why haven't you?"

"I can't say I haven't found the right moment, and I can't tell you I've really tried either. I want to tell him. I do, but something keeps stopping me."

"What?"

"Will he be able to handle it?" Chloe voiced the question she was always asking herself. "Can he do the work he needs to when he might as well be worrying about a family?"

"Isn't that his choice to make? Chloe, Clark does what he does for the people he loves. It's like being a cop or a firefighter or a soldier. You risk your life because you want to keep someone else safe. What Clark does is not any different, with the exception he has a marked advantage."

"He's going to be so mad, Martha."

"He will be," Martha said frankly. "But you've got to trust that the two of you love each other enough to get through it."

"But I don't want him to feel like he has to be with me because of the boys. I'm afraid that when he finds out he's going to want to-"

"What? Marry you? Make a family with you? Love you?" Martha snapped. "Chloe, I understand how much Clark has hurt you in the past. But you have take this chance. You two love each other. You've loved each other since you were kids. Clark may be a little to the party, but the point is, he's arrived. If you continue being scared, you're not only hurting yourself, you're hurting Clark and your sons. After all of the terrible things that have happened, don't you and Clark finally deserve to be happy?"

"But what if-"

"I don't have the answers to your questions, Chloe. Clark does." Chloe and Martha held each other's eyes over their cups. "Chloe, I know how hard this is for you. But I refuse to stand by and watch the four people I love the most in this world suffer because of fear. If you haven't told Clark by Thanksgiving, I will." 

* * *

Clark stood at the printer, quietly waiting for all his copies to come out. Him, Oliver and Chloe had finally finished the trial articles last night and still came up empty handed. Now Clark was going back even further. Anything that had the name Luthor in it or on it had been sent to the print box and was coming sliding into his palm.

"Busy killing trees?" Lois asked over his shoulder.

"Lois!" He exclaimed as he whirled to face her. He hadn't heard her walk up behind him. And he saw why as he looked down at her feet. Instead of her usual three or four inch stilettos, she was wearing running shoes. It was also a Saturday. Clark hadn't expected anyone to be here on a Saturday except for the small skeleton staff and the janitors.

"Whoa, what's with the Luthor news-fest?" Lois commented when she saw all the headlines the machine was spitting out.

"Nothing. Just research," Clark answered vaguely.

"For what?" Lois asked curiously, taking some of the papers that were piling up on the tray and casually flipping through them.

"For. . . Oliver. Business," Clark replied, snatching the articles from her. "Did you need something, Lois? Spell check malfunctioning?"

"And here I thought we could be water cooler buddies who could shoot the breeze about last night's scintillating Bachelor episode," Lois said cockily. "I need the printer. I came in specifically this early on a Saturday morning for that purpose."

"So did I. Wait you turn," Clark told her.

"I've been waiting my turn quite patiently for the past half hour, Clark! Doesn't Oliver have a printer up in the executive offices he could send you to use since this is his project?"

"Why don't you go use that one, Lois?"

"Listen, Smallville-"

"Kent! Lane! I was hoping both of you would be in today," Perry shouted, appearing in the doorway of the supply room where the main printer/copier/fax for the floor was located. He shuffled in with his bow-legged gait, his two sizes too big jacket to accommodate his spare tire flapping wildly. "Do either of you have plans tonight?"

Clark and Lois both opened their mouths to respond.

"Well, cancel them. The Planet gets two tickets every year to the most prestigious bash thrown by Queen Industries, namely the Halloween party. You two will be going as press to cover the event. Hope you can come up with some swinging costumes. You won't be admitted without those and your invitations which are up on my desk when the two of you need 'em."

"Chief," Lois sputtered before Perry could storm back out of the room.

"Lane-"

"I know, don't call you that. Whatever, but doesn't Starlene Stringer and Bob Bratt usually cover the socialite functions? Why are you sending me and Clark?" Lois asked with frustration. She actually had a very coveted date with the hunky host of Goodnight Metropolis. One she'd been chasing after for about a year now. An evening spent in Clark's company would be like shoving bamboo sticks up her nostrils.

"Because both of you have strong ties to the Blonde Billionaire and his matching arm candy. No offense," Perry amended quickly with a glare from Lois. "They'll be more comfortable talking to the two of you. Sources say there is trouble brewing with the Golden Couple of Metropolis-"

"Perry, if you think I am going to pump my family for information on her supposedly sinking Love Boat, you've got another think coming. Plus, I think Clark has a really important appointment he can't break tonight. Right, Clark?" Lois chirped.

Clark glazed at Lois. He'd already been invited, as had Lois but she declined on account of this date she had. Clark volunteered to stay with Connor and Kaid for the evening. He looked at Perry. "Nope. Free as a bird." Clark smiled sweetly at Lois who clenched her teeth. He'd pay, but Clark thought it might almost be worth the expression on Lois' face.

"Great! I'll give you a pass on the relationship story this time, Lane. Just see what every one else is up to. We haven't had a good scandal in some time. The Planet needs some fresh meat!" With a shake of his fist, Perry sped out, blustering some more at the small staff that had gathered to watch the Lane, Kent &amp; White Circus.

"Kent," Lois growled as she turned on him. "I get to pick the costumes."

Clark's face fell. Maybe he shouldn't have baited her after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Martha? Could you get that, please?" Chloe yelled down, just as she stepped into the shower. Martha took a break from the game of Monolopy she was losing to the twins to pick up the ringing cordless phone in the kitchen.

"Hello?" She greeted with a smile.

"Mom?" Clark asked on the other end.

"Hi, sweetie. How are you?"

"I'm fine. What are you doing at the farm?"

"Oh, just decided to come out for a couple of days. I needed a break," Martha answered.

"Are you okay?" Clark asked with concern.

"I'm fine. I also wanted to come out and see Chloe. I read the article you wrote about her assistant."

"How is she?"

"She's okay. She says she still blames herself, but I keep telling her there was no way to know what that crazy man had planned," Martha told him.

"Is she around? I need to talk to her," Clark replied.

"She just got in the shower. Do you need me to give her a message?" Martha offered.

"Yeah. I was supposed to keep the boys tonight but Perry just assigned me and Lois to cover the Halloween Costume Ball that Oliver is throwing."

"No problem. I'll let her know. I can sit with them. I didn't have any plans for tonight anyway."

"Would you mind, Mom?"

Martha turned her head and looked at Connor and Kaid, who were smiling angelically at her. They'd hidden her game piece again. "Not at all."

* * *

An hour or so later, while Martha was at the stove showing Connor and Kaid how to make pudding that wasn't from a box, the doorbell rang.

"You keep stirring," She instructed Connor, handing him the whisk. "Clockwise." Wiping her hands on her apron, Martha went to the door to find a tall, imposing man in a smart black suit and driver's cap.

"Good evening," the man said, his deep voice rolling.

"Good evening," Martha replied. "I'll get Chloe. Would you like to come in?"

"No, I'll wait for Ms. Sullivan on the porch," he said before taking up stance at the porch beam. Martha bit back a laugh as she closed the door. Takes his job seriously, Martha thought.

"Chloe!" She called up the stairs. "The limo is here!"

"Be right down!" A muffled voice carried down to Martha.

Martha went back to her silver pot and two little boys. "Let's see what we got."

Ten minutes later, when Martha was sticking her finger in the pudding to taste test, she heard some commotion on the stairs.

"How do I look?" Chloe asked, holding her arms out as she stood at the bottom of the steps.

"Oh!" Martha gasped at the sight of her. "Aren't you precious?"

"Yeah, well, Oliver was feeling whimsical this year. Can you help me?" Chloe spoke in a grumble as she kept slapping at a wayward glittering wing behind her.

"I think you are just the cutest fairy I have seen in a long time," Martha told her as she stepped behind Chloe to fasten the set of sheer wings more securely to the back of Chloe's satiny dress the color of spring grass.

"Well, this is one fairy who wants her wings clipped," Chloe retorted as she glared over her shoulder .

"You look darling, though," Martha replied, taking in her artfully styled hair pulled into an elegant French twist to her golden colored slippers with a big white puff on either toe. "I'm guessing Oliver is the boy who never grew up?"

"Ironic, given he's finally grown out of the Peter Pan Syndrome. You don't think it's too short?" Chloe asked as she yanked on the pointed ends of her skirt, trying to move it past her mid-thigh.

"No, it looks fine. Do you have a coat you can wear? It's chilly out there," Martha told her. She doubted that even if the costume did have long sleeves it wouldn't insulate Chloe against the wind.

"Not one I can wear over these stupid wings and I don't feel like finding someone at the party to play Fairy Godmother," Chloe said, putting her cell phone and some lip balm into the golden clutch she'd set by the door. "I won't be going outside. I'll be fine."

"Okay, well, have fun. See if you can get a picture of Clark. He said Lois was picking out their costumes. I'm very curious to see what she dressed him up in," Martha smiled deviously at Chloe as the two walked to the front door.

"If Lois knows what's good for her, she'll have stayed away from anything 'form-fitting'," Chloe replied. "Guys, I'm leaving!" There was a rush of footsteps and Connor and Kaid came barreling around the corner, both wrapped in over-sized aprons Martha had unearthed from somewhere.

"Bye Mom!" The twins said together, hugging her waist.

"Hey, you be good for Martha. And don't let her ply you with too many home baked goods," Chloe teased. "I'll be home later." Connor and Kaid, without her normal added four inches of height, reached right under her chest. They would be tall. But there was never a question about that. She kissed each boy's head. "Thanks, Martha. For everything."

"You're welcome." Martha reached over and hugged Chloe again. "We'll see you later."

With a wave, Chloe exited the house and followed the driver into the limo. Once inside, she allowed the nerves she was feeling to surface. She was planning to talk to Oliver tonight. Martha had made her see she was living in fear and that was one of the main reasons she was still lying to Clark. And with the Thanksgiving ultimatum looming before her, Chloe knew she needed to do all she could to bulk up her courage. She already had Martha Kent in her corner, which helped. She would soon have Oliver and Lois. Chloe knew, with all those people pushing her, she could do it. She could find the bravery to tell Clark they had two children and the scariest thing of all, that she still loved him. Chloe thought she'd told him before he left, but now she wondered if that had been a dream when she woke alone.

The 90 minute drive did nothing to help her compose. Every time she tried to gather her thoughts, they would shoot out and away, like bullets from a gun, traveling so fast she couldn't remember what they were or where they had gone. She reached down and scratched her ankle through the flesh colored fishnet stockings. She hated this outfit! It was short and itchy and cold. The only thing she liked about it was the fact that it actually showed off her hips in a very flattering way, which had gained a few more inches after the twins. Besides that, she felt as if she was wearing a green bathing suit with sleeves. And the shoes! How would she be able to look anyone in the eye, literally, tonight?

She felt the limo pull to a stop and took a look out the tinted windows. The tall Queen Industries building towered from her vantage point, a warm glow shining out from the banquet room on the twenty-second floor where the Halloween party was being held. Farther above that, at the very pinnacle of the building, another light was on. Oliver's office, Chloe's destination. The door opened and the driver, whose name Chloe didn't catch, held out a hand.

"Thank you," she said, still looking up at the top of the building. "Here we go."

* * *

The chair creaked as Oliver rocked back and forth. He'd been dressed for the past hour, just passing the time with a game of computer solitaire. All things were set for the team's trip to Russia. Lately he'd been thinking of going soon, not waiting around. They were getting no where in their investigation of the Lex's Ultimate Weapon here in the states. Maybe the prison in Russia held some answers. With every day, he could tell his guys were getting antsy. He and Clark took turns calling to check on Chloe, who was getting very annoyed with both of them. Not to mention sending Bart out for perimeter checks every two or three hours. Oliver knew when Lex finished formulating his plan, he would waste no time in pouncing. They needed to be ready at a moments notice, as well. But how could Oliver and his group hope to ready, without knowing the full plan?

Not for the first time, Oliver thought about going to visit Lex in prison. With the man being in isolation, the only visitors he was allowed were those of a medical variety, including that hack Dr. Mickler. Maybe with enough money slipped into the right pocket, Oliver could arrange a short meeting with Lex. Baldie might not give him anything except dark and twisted business platitudes he'd turned into points to live by, but maybe within those would be clues to what was going down. He made a mental note to look into getting an audience with his Craziness. The enormity of the task ahead of the Justice League threatened to astound him and then he remembered they had Clark. Oliver smiled. He and Clark had bumped heads a few times back in their younger years, but they made a good team. Add Chloe into the mix and they were unstoppable. Chloe had the brains, Clark had the brawn and Oliver had the will.

Thinking of Chloe, Oliver's smile faltered. They would need to talk. And soon. The way they were going, could not continue. He wasn't happy, she wasn't happy and Clark sure as hell wasn't happy. Chloe and him had never talked about what might happen if Clark ever did come back in their lifetime. It was not a subject either of them wanted to discuss. Discussing it seemed to foster the hope Clark would return and as long as Chloe had hope, she was miserable while he was gone. She had been the happiest Oliver had ever seen her in the fifteen months following Connor and Kaid's birth. As the date for Clark's return got closer and closer, Chloe alternated between boughts of nervousness and down-right panic. She'd told Oliver many times she was scared and excited at the same time. Would Clark want to acknowledge the boys? Would Clark be mad she hadn't tried to contact him? Would he still be Clark Kent? Afterwards, it was painful to watch her. Lois and him witnessed Chloe, would had always been on the curvy side, waste away to almost nothing. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't move.

Oliver cared enough about Chloe to want her to be happy. He'd told her about a thousand times since he'd found her and Clark in the barn over a month ago. The only commitment the two had to each other was the Justice League, to making the world a safe place once again. Dating for them was an easy solution to both of their problems with loneliness. He could be himself with Chloe and she accepted his dual identity. She never asked for anything more than what he could give her and expected him to put everything else ahead of her. Both of them understood their first priority wasn't to each other. When Oliver first met Chloe, she seemed liked a shorter version of Lois. But as time went on, the differences between the two women were like night and day. Though Lois seemed independent and head-strong, Oliver could always tell she needed him. She didn't want to, but she did. Their love affair had been a wild and passionate ride, one Oliver knew he'd never experience again. He still thought fondly of his time with Lois. It was short, but unforgettable and Oliver was still trying to get over that tall siren.

Chloe didn't need him. Chloe didn't need anything, except for Clark. Oliver wanted to be that to someone. He envied the love Chloe and Clark evidently had for each other and he would no longer allow Chloe to disregard the connection between her and Clark. It was time for her to face the music. The two of them had basically broken up, they just needed to make it official. As if her ears were itching, Oliver looked up as the automated doors to his office hissed open and Chloe sauntered in. He took a long, appreciative glance at her in the short, green dress he'd picked out.

"Now I see why Peter Pan didn't want to leave Neverland," Oliver said with a lifted eyebrow. He stood and walked around his desk toward her.

"Thank you," Chloe said brightly with a smile. She caught sight of the green hose hugging Oliver's long legs. "Now, those my green-hue addicted friend, are tights."

"Thought I'd try 'em out, see how they felt," Oliver replied, moving forward and hugging her, placing a kiss on her forehead. They'd fallen easily into the pattern of a couple and now it seemed they would fall as easily back out. "You're early."

Chloe glanced over at his desk clock. "Only by thirty minutes."

"How did it look down there?" Oliver asked, leaning back against his desk still facing her.

"Like the Tooth Fairy died," Chloe teased.

Oliver slipped his hands down from her shoulders to take her hands in his. "Are you counting the hours until this is over?"

"I should have come as a pocket-watch," Chloe groaned.

"Well, I don't think anyone would find a pocket-watch as appealing," Oliver replied. Silence fell between them, turning the moment awkward.

"So, you want to go first?" Oliver offered.

"You knew this was coming," Chloe stated.

"We both knew. When are you going to tell him?"

Chloe squeezed his hands in return before turning and retreating to the uncomfortable looking love seat. "Martha came into town. Either I tell him by Thanksgiving or she cooks my turkey."

"Aw," Oliver said with contrition. "So you're only telling Clark because Ma Kent is threatening to give up the game."

"It's not just that, Oliver. I want the boys to know where they come from. I saw what Clark went through when we were younger, searching for where he came from, trying to understand why he was different. I don't want Connor and Kaid to feel like that. I don't want Connor and Kaid to feel isolated or cut off from people. You were right, this is what is best for them. Martha made me see that living in fear, I'm not only hurting myself, but I'm hurting the boys and Clark."

"I'll help you tell him, Chloe. You won't have to do this alone," Oliver told her.

"I was afraid, but not anymore. If I believe Martha, Clark and I love each other enough to get through this. Time will tell," Chloe replied.

"What do you think he'll do?"

"I don't know. Clark didn't think he could get anyone pregnant. He probably won't believe me at first. I just hope he doesn't run away. He has a nasty habit of doing that when things get complicated."

"So that's where you learned it from," Oliver replied.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Running away. You must have learned it from Clark."

"I don't run away," Chloe said incredously.

"Yes, you do, Chloe," Oliver said again from his perch against his desk. "The Chloe I first met would never have kept Clark in the dark this long. The Chloe I first met was not afraid of anything, least of all her six foot three, two hundred plus pound, alien best friend."

Chloe smiled at Oliver's description of Clark, but soon turned somber. There was a shred of truth in what he'd said. "You're wrong, you know."

Oliver cocked an eyebrow.

"I dive in head first to any investigation. I throw myself into any mission. I'm not scared of anything. Anything, except Clark Kent. He's always scared the crap out of me," Chloe told Oliver quietly. She'd thought the way she loved Clark was only something she'd read in those trashy romance novels she hid in her underwear drawer when she was thirteen. She thought it was just a literary invention to justify the torment the two characters went through before they were allowed to be brought together. But it wasn't. It was real. And all these years, with Clark gone, it had still only grown stronger instead of weaker. "At the risk of sounding like a bad Rita Hayworth movie, I would do anything for that man. And that is what scares me the most."

"He would do the same for you. You have to believe that. I think Mrs. Kent is right," Oliver responded as he pushed away from the desk and joined her on the sofa. Reaching over, he took both her hands in one of his in a comforting gesture. "Clark loves you. You two can work through this."

"Thank you, Oliver. Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without you all these years," Chloe said with affection.

"I think we helped each other out. I'm just glad one of us gets the happy ending," Oliver replied.

"Oliver," Chloe admonished. "You know, she hasn't dated anyone seriously since you. Are you sure-"

"Chloe," Oliver interrupted, matching her tone. "You know what she said. She can't handle my double life. Not all of us are as lucky as Clark."

"But did you ever give her the chance?"

"Look who is talking!" Oliver laughed.

Chloe had the grace to look shameful. "You never fought for her, though. You just took her at her word. If I can take a chance on Clark, I think you can take a chance on Lois. We both need to face our fears, Oliver."

Oliver and Chloe sat for the next hour, talking quietly. Each could tell they cared deeply for the other, but both their hearts lied elsewhere. They parted as friends, realizing they'd never been anything else but, really. The phone on Oliver's desk rang,causing Chloe to jump.

"Krenshaw?" Oliver said with surprise into the phone. "Yes, we'll be right down." He replaced the head-piece and turned to Chloe. "Seems our guests await us."

"What time is it?" Chloe asked as she stood from the couch.

"Time for our last fashionably late entrance," Oliver said with a sad smile. He would miss Chloe. He would miss the world he'd created with her, if only for a short time. Her words about facing fears floated around in his mind, but with mental shove, he pushed them away. He almost envied Clark in this moment. Almost.

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell arrived outside the banquet room doors five minutes later. It was flanked by none other than Krenshaw and Allistor. Krenshaw moved his head, speaking into the mic on the lapel as Allistor put a hand on the fancy door knob. From inside, Chloe could hear the Emcee of the evening begin his introductions. This was the part she hated. She pasted a bright smile on her face as the doors swung open.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our gracious host for the evening and his lovely counterpart," Oliver slipped an arm around her waist and squeezed. "CEO's of Queen Industries and Isis Foundation, Oliver Queen and Chloe Sullivan!" The roar of applause coming from the extravagantly large room was deafening as Chloe allowed Oliver to steer her inside. Oliver, being expected to speak as he always was, made his way to the platform that had been erected to support the small concert orchestra he had hired and the microphone stand, Chloe still on his arm.

"Hello everyone, thanks for coming." Oliver began reciting the same words he said year after year. Chloe's cheeks hurt from smiling prettily as she scanned the crowd for any familiar faces. As if a magnetic force drew her, Chloe eyes connected instantly with the sea-green pair she knew so well. Her smile became real as she took in his face. He was scowling. And Chloe quickly saw why as she fought hard not snort in laughter.

* * *

Lois and Clark walked around, their press passes clipped to their shoulders like scarlet letters. No one was coming near them. A waiter in a snowy white waistcoat sailed by and Lois snagged two tall flutes if champagne, handing one to Clark before downing hers like a Tequila shot.

"I could be mid-way through dinner foreplay right about now if it weren't for you," Lois growled, replacing the empty flute back on another tray sailing past her by another waiter.

"You know, Lois, I think you got your revenge, so why don't you let it go?" Clark said tightly, placing the glass on the table behind him. True, he'd ruined her date. But did he really deserve. . . this?

Lois glanced to her left. She smiled genuinely as she spied the Mayor's wife admiring Clark from behind. "Oh, come on now, Clark. You can't tell me you mind being one of the only best pieces of eye candy here tonight? I never knew you had all that." Lois leered playfully at him, causing Clark to lean away from her like she was contagious.

Clark cleared his throat and clasped his hands in front of himself. "Just for the record? I hate you."

"Oh, it's mutual, sweetie," Lois replied with her own tight smile. "Listen, I think I see the County Commissioner over there, why don't we-"

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Emcee began. "Our gracious host for the evening and his lovely counterpart, CEO's of Queen Industries and Isis Foundation, Oliver Queen and Chloe Sullivan!"

Lois and Clark turned their attention to the doors as Chloe and Oliver came through. Clark's mouth dropped. He wasn't the only one who was exposed. He hadn't seen Chloe in a skirt that short since they were in high school and even then she wore tights or pants under them in her own funky fashion. Clark didn't know if it was Chloe or just how he would react to any woman in a next to nothing curve clinging. . . He glanced over at Lois, dressed as a slutty Red Riding Hood. Yeah, it was Chloe. Clark swallowed and gritted his teeth as Oliver guided Chloe to the stage by her hip. He should be over the jealousy by now.

Clark began listening to Oliver's speech, so he could dictate it down later at the Planet, but Chloe found him and smiled. Something was different. He could see it in her face. It was as if the burden she'd carried since he'd returned had dissolved. Clark felt his frowning facial muscles relax into his own easy grin. He didn't know what it was, but she was looking at him like she used to. When it had been the two of them against the world and she knew they would win. What's changed? Clark wondered.

". . .enjoy tonight and Happy Halloween!" Oliver finished to applause.

Dang it.

Oliver and Chloe stepped off. Oliver was stopped immediately, but Chloe continued on toward Lois and Clark. As she got closer, Clark could see her features were held firmly in place, trying not to laugh.

"Hey, guys," she greeted. "Glad you could find costumes on such short notice."

"Well, it wasn't easy," Lois answered after she'd hugged Chloe. Needing to do something with his hands, Clark picked up the glass behind him and raised it to his lips. "Not like Jumbo here fits easily into tight places."

The champagne Clark had filled his mouth with sprayed out in a golden mist. He turned wide eyes to Lois.

"What?" Lois asked when she saw him. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Smallville." Chloe, not able to hold her composure much longer, lost it completely when she heard Lois mutter, "Not like she hasn't see it before."

Clark knocked back the rest of the alcohol, wishing it had some kind of effect of him. Maybe then he could get through the rest of the night without throttling Lois.

"And just what are you supposed to be?" Oliver had finally made it to where they were standing. He, too, eyed Clark with blatant curiosity. Clark noticed he stood easily beside Chloe, but they didn't touch.

"I am Little Red Riding Hood," Lois answered in a sugary voice, curtsying in her low-cut white peasant top. The view couldn't even be obscured by the floor length red cloak she wore tied around her neck.

"I assumed that, Lois. But what about your friend?" Oliver motioned to Clark. "You want to tell us what this is about, Clark?"

Clark glowered at all of them, including Chloe who was no longer bothering to try and hide her giggles.

"Go on. Tell them, Clark," Lois ordered him sweetly.

"The trmpk," Clark muttered.

"The what?"

Clark glared at Lois. "The Tick," he repeated with enunciation.

"The Tick?" Chloe and Oliver asked.

"It was the only costume that would fit him! The fabric is so stretchy!" Lois demonstrated by pinching some of thin royal blue fabric and pulling it outward before letting it snap back into place. Clark, unconvincingly, played like it hurt.

"Fifth time tonight," he whispered at Chloe.

Chloe stepped back and looked at him. The costume was a one piece, a brilliant shade of royal blue. It had a separate head piece with two stubby antennae on top pointing out in different directions under which Clark's thick mop of black hair was stuffed. Whatever the fabric was, it hugged his whole body like Oliver's hose hugged his legs, ending inside a pair of tall, red boots.

"Wasn't the Tick all blue? And, um, insane?" Chloe asked, successfully controlling her laughter.

"Yes, yes he was," Lois answered. "Clark's feet wouldn't fit into the blue boots that went with the costume so the shop girl found these for us and maybe he's not insane, but The Tick and Clark do share some of the same qualities. They're both parasites."

"Clark? You have anything to say to defend yourself?" Oliver suggested.

"No," Clark ground out.

"OK, guys. I think we've ribbed Clark enough. They're just jealous. Not all of us look so good in, what is it?" Chloe reached out herself and felt the smooth, almost silk-like material. She felt the warmth of Clark's skin radiating outward.

"I don't know," Lois answered, pulling on the costume again. "I will say this, though, 'cuz. You know how to pick 'em! He's not padded. Anywhere!"

Oliver laughed. "Just how much champagne have you had, Lois?"

"Enough to have the great tingly feeling in my toes."

"I think we need to get some food in you, Lois," Chloe said, taking hold of her cousin's arm.

"I'll take her," Clark groaned. "You two are being summoned." His head cocked to the young woman with a PDA and an ear piece heading their way.

"Yes, the first dance. We have to lead it. You two have fun," Oliver told Clark as the men took an arm of Chloe and Lois, leading them in different directions.

Clark marched Lois over to a long table covered in gourmet dishes. He picked up a plate and started filling it with bread and a couple of cold cuts. Out of the corner of his eye, Clark saw Lois try to snag another glass of bubbly and quickly put down the plate and yanked her wrist. "No," Clark said sternly.

"Killjoy," Lois snarled as Clark forced the food on her. "You wanted to come."

"I didn't think I'd be trading one baby-sitting job for another," Clark muttered.

"That'll teach you," Lois giggled. She popped a piece of bread into her mouth, looking toward the dance floor. Oliver and Chloe were in the middle, dancing casually to a slow, jazzy beat. Others were joining them, steadily obscuring Chloe from her view. Lois looked over at Clark. His eyes were trained, as well, on the couple. Remembering the last time her and Clark watched Chloe dance with another man from afar, Lois shivered with uneasiness. "I'm going to go mingle. Wouldn't want you getting any ideas," she finished with knowing eyes. When the girl Clark was currently pining for was taken away, he got ideas. Lois doubted he'd changed in the years he'd been gone.

"Lois-"

"I'm not going to drink anymore, Clark, so you can put your little tee-totaler pad away," Lois threw over her shoulder before she stuffed some more food into her mouth and lost herself in the crowd.

Clark stood alone again, attempting to hold his hands in front of him. It was very uncomfortable being on display.

"Come on, Smallville. You played football," Lois had crowed from outside the dressing room. "How is this any different than tiny white pants?" The difference was, on the field, all the guys were wearing them and most people in the crowd were busy watching where the ball was going. Clark had already been whistled at, pinched, poked and prodded within the hour of him and Lois arriving. Twice by Mayor Kennington's wife alone.

"You should be flattered," a female voice simpered beside him. Clark rolled his eyes and looked to his left to where the voice had sounded only to find empty air. "Down here."

"Chloe!" Clark turned his head downward, surprised to see her head just barely reaching his shoulder. Has she always been this little? "What are you doing down there?"

"I've been demoted," Chloe answered, holding out a tiny foot, showing off the shiny golden flat slipper with a large white puff on the toe.

"Cute," Clark said, taking in her wings. "Tinkerbell?"

"Oliver insisted he pick this year," Chloe replied, taking a sip of her champagne.

"Why? Afraid you'd put him tights? Because he ended up there anyway."

"Last year we came as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. He has something against an ascot, I think. So, how did Lois talk you into this one?" Chloe asked, allowing her eyes to travel slowly down and back up.

"It really was the only thing that would fit me," Clark admitted.

"Why didn't you just come as James Bond or some other debonair man? Something that would leave a little to the imagination?"

"I thought you said I should be flattered! What should I be flattered about, by the way?"

"For starters, Oliver usually is the best looking thing at this event," Chloe began. "This year, all the women want to know who the hunk in the blue suit is."

Clark groaned.

"And, you look, well, hot."

Clark glanced down at Chloe. She'd caught her bottom lip between her teeth, but quickly released it and smiled when she met Clark's eyes. Clark turned to her. "Why aren't you out there with Oliver?"

"Because Lois abandoned you and you looked lonely," Chloe answered, facing away and looking out upon the crowd. She took another sip from her glass. Clark saw her hand tremble.

He took the glass from her and put it on a tray that passed by. Chloe looked at him with questioning eyes.

"What is it, Chloe? What happened?"

"Nothing, Clark, why do think something happened?"

"Because I know you. Something happened. What? Is it Dr. Mickler? Did he call you-"

"Whoa, Clark. Slow down. No, nothing happened today. I'm just. . ." Chloe's voice trailed off. Clark stood close to her, his arms crossed over his chest, looking quite imposing in the skin-tight blue suit. Except for the antennae on his head. That ruined the whole image. "I'm just a little out of it, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm-"

"Clark Kent?"

Chloe and Clark turned to the new voice. It was a smoker's voice and it belonged to none other than Clark's number one admirer of the night, Mrs. Kennington, the mayor's wife.

"Mrs. Kennington. It's lovely to see you again," Chloe greeted the dark haired woman politely, but the she didn't hear a word Chloe said. She was too busy licking her chops in Clark's direction. Vivian Kennington was known for her cougar appetite concerning other men who were not her husband. It would have amazed Chloe how her poor husband got re-elected every time with Vivian as a wife had Chloe not known what a dirty politician he was. This was why she hated this party. She was forced to be pleasant to the people she was trying hard to avoid at all costs, both professionally and personally.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kennington." Clark held out a hand.

Vivian took it eagerly in her own, pulling herself up to Clark. She looked like a soft-core version of Morticia from the Addams Family. "I've had my eye on you all night. How would you care for an up close and personal exclusivewith the first lady of Metropolis?"

"That would be great!" Clark exclaimed. "Just let me go and get my partner and we'll set up a time for your interview."

"I wouldn't think a big man like yourself would want to share your by-line."

Chloe couldn't believe her ears. The sentence itself was purely innocent, but spoken by Vivian Kennington it came out filled with innuendo.

"No, no. I'm very generous with my by-line," Clark replied. "Let me just go and get-"

"How about we start the interview now, then? Just you and me on the dance floor?" Vivian pressed her fake upper body flush against Clark's side, causing Clark to go red.

"Well, the song is about to end and I'm sure-"

"Then we'll wait for the next one. I'll go request a nice long one," Vivian smiled, showing all her perfect teeth.

"Actually, I've promised my next dance to Ms. Sullivan here," Clark told Vivian frantically.

Vivian, not used to being shunned, turned her cold, blue eyes to Chloe, daring her to support Clark's obvious lie and attempt to avoid her. Chloe, only to happy to oblige Clark, slipped her arm through Clark's and smiled sweetly at Vivian.

"That's right, you did."

"And I would hate to disappoint you," Clark said to Chloe, clumsily untangling himself from Vivian's vice-like grip. The music ended to the sound of applause, only to start up again, playing a softer and more melodic version of a popular Broadway song.

"Maybe Lois and I can do your interview some other time," Clark said hurriedly to Vivian before pulling Chloe roughly through the crowd of people and onto the dance floor. He swung her out and in, catching her in his arms.

"That was close," Chloe laughed as she settled her hands on Clark's broad shoulders. All she could see was the massive expanse of his blue chest. She tilted back to look into his face.

"I never knew the woman was such a-"

"Venus Man Trap? She's been through most of the Metropolis Sharks already."

"Don't tell me that," Clark whined with a playful smile. "You and Mom do anything special today?"

"Clark? I'm getting a crick," Chloe teased in way of avoidance.

"Then we'll just dance," Clark responded easily. He pulled her in closer, settling his hands at her waist. Chloe laid her head on his chest and leaned against him, letting Clark support her as they swayed to the music. Something was different. Clark could feel it. His heart sped up as he wrapped his arms around her tighter, wondering what could have changed. His chin rested on top of her head as he looked around the tastefully decorated room. He met Vivian Kennington's eyes which were currently shooting him death glares as she stood next to the elbow of her husband.

The song came to end, but when Chloe made no attempt to step away from him, Clark stayed where he was, mentally thanking the orchestra for playing yet another slow tempo song. When another set, a tribute to Elvis, began and Chloe still didn't leave him, Clark started to get slightly worried about her reputation. What would people think to see Oliver Queen's girlfriend spending the whole night in another man's arms? What would Oliver think? Quickly, Clark scanned the crowd.

He found Oliver standing quietly by himself, watching the two of them with intense interest. Clark lifted his head, preparing to push Chloe away when Oliver did something unexpected. He lifted his scotch glass as if he was toasting someone and smiled, looking strangely. . . satisfied.

"Chloe?" Clark whispered.

"Hmm?" Chloe murmured from her resting place.

"Is Oliver. . .OK?" He asked tentatively.

Chloe stirred against him and followed his gaze, seeing what Clark saw. Chloe smiled softly and waved before turning back to Clark. "He's fine. We're both fine. Better than we've been in a long time." Chloe watched Clark take his eyes from Oliver and place them back on her.

"I need to tell you something, Clark. I've needed to tell you since you came back, but I. . . didn't know how," Chloe told him before she could lose her nerve.

"You can tell me anything, Chloe," Clark replied, smoothing a loose curl behind her ear.

Chloe smiled shyly. "Meet me in the boardroom in ten minutes." She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Clark's cheek before scampering away from him and out of sight.

* * *

"Just a few questions, Mr. Ruthers. Are there any truth to the rumors surrounding your recent infidelity with three of your four Teaching Assistants? Any comment at all?" Lois cried after the intelligent looking professor stalking away from her dressed as a research scientist. Lois groaned.

"That went well," Oliver said behind her shoulder. She turned, looking at Oliver in his Peter Pan costume, which was very similar to his Robin Hood outfit.

"I started with the easy ones first," Lois said, stuffing the last of her food into her mouth and ridding herself of the plate.

"Lois, the man is one of the leading experts in his field of Automated Geographic Particles at Met U. Do you have to ruin the his life five minutes after meeting him?" Oliver questioned as he nursed his Scotch on the Rocks.

"Perry sent Clark and I here to sniff out a story. And all I've smelt tonight are cheap avoidance tactics."

"Why don't you take a break from the hunt for a few minutes? How about a dance?" Oliver asked, downing the rest of his drink.

"You know I can never refuse a man in tights," Lois smirked as she took Oliver's hand and followed him. The two talked comfortably as Oliver spun her around the floor. "I forgot how good you were at this."

"You're not too bad yourself. You haven't stepped on my foot yet," Oliver teased.

"If they weren't always in my way," Lois countered. "You liked it, anyway."

"I do have a weakness for women who think they can walk all over me."

"I can tell. Out of all the women in Metropolis or Star City, you manage to pick two of most stubborn and head-strong women to shower with your affection."

"It's a sickness really."

"It is," Lois smiled. She spied Clark and Chloe over Oliver's shoulder, the two not so much dancing as holding each other and swaying. She looked back at Oliver. He seemed different tonight. More flirtatious than she'd seen him in a long time. Lois cleared her throat as she felt the familiar stirring in her stomach whenever she was close to Oliver.

"How are you doing with all this? Clark, I mean," Lois asked seriously.

"I'm fine with it. She's finally going to tell him," Oliver answered.

"She is? What does that mean for you and her?"

"It means we broke up," Oliver replied simply.

"And you're okay with that?"

"I am," Oliver said with a smile. "I want to see her happy, Lois. I want to see the both of you happy."

Lois met Oliver's eyes with surprise. "I am happy," she said quietly, not sure why she felt she needed to assure him. Her eyes strayed over to Clark and Chloe again. "You and Clark are somehow friends, you think he's going to hurt her again?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, but none of us ever know what will happen."

"I can't watch her go through pain again, Oliver. Not over Clark Kent, not one more time," Lois told him.

"She's strong. She'll be fine," Oliver assured her.

"I wish I could be that strong," Lois whispered.

"You are strong."

"No, Ollie. Not like her." Lois turned her eyes back to Oliver, tears shining in them. "Chloe's not afraid of love. She loves with her whole heart, never holding anything back. She's taught me everything I know. She taught me about friendship, she taught me how to be a good reporter. She taught me how to be in love. But she never taught me how to be strong like her."

Oliver didn't say anything. He knew Lois was only warming up.

"It's funny, I always thought of her as needing my protection from things. I always thought I was stronger than her because I wouldn't allow myself to feel that deeply. But that's not true," Lois finished softly.

"Sometimes walking away can be the greatest show of strength," Oliver said, knowing where Lois was headed.

"And sometimes it's staying and facing your fears," Lois replied.

* * *

Chloe found the vacant boardroom just down the hall. She slipped in quietly and shut the door behind her. Feeling her way along the walls, she found the light console in a corner. Twisting the knob, she turned up the lights but kept them dim. It wasn't her ideal setting for this talk, but it had a lot of leg room for Clark to pace, which he liked to do when freaked out. She had no idea what she was going tell him or how she was going to start.

"Use your time wisely, Sullivan," Chloe whispered to herself. She walked around the gleaming walnut table a couple of times before taking a place in front of one of the long windows, looking down upon a busy Metropolis Avenue where the brake lights of all the vehicles down below looked like tiny red ants marching in a line. She hummed to the tune of Elvis' Now or Never drifting in from the banquet room. The door clicked behind her. She released a breath. Had it been ten minutes yet? It didn't matter. The time had come. Straightening her spine, Chloe turned.

The lights blazed brightly as the dimmer switch was turned higher, revealing the man standing across the room from her. Chloe's throat closed.

"You," she croaked.

* * *

Clark shuffled around, looking at his watch practically every minute. What did Chloe need to tell him? What secrets could they possibly have from one another now? Clark glanced around. Lois and Oliver had taken to the dance floor not long after he and Chloe had vacated it. He watched them now, speaking softly into each other's ears. Clark made a confused expression. Tonight was turning into a mind puzzler. There could only be one explanation for it. Clark didn't even dare to hope it was what he thought. Perry had said there were sources saying the Golden Couple of Metropolis were hitting troubled waters. But Clark spent most of his evenings with said couple, wouldn't he have seen something? He hadn't and that was his answer. Clark looked back at his watch. He guessed he'd be getting more answers in two minutes.

* * *

"And sometimes it's staying and facing your fears," Lois replied.

Oliver kept his eyes trained on Lois. Had she really just said-

There was a tap on his shoulder. Pressing his mouth into a tight line, Oliver turned, keeping Lois in his arms. Krenshaw stood a few inches behind him.

"Yes?" Oliver asked brusquely.

"You have a call, Mr. Queen," the head of security told him.

"Krenshaw," Oliver said, trying to keep his irritation in check. "Can you take a message?"

"No, Mr. Queen. You need to take this call."

* * *

Clark found the boardroom on the twenty-second floor. . . Empty. Paranoia set in and Clark fought hard not to panic. This was the first time she'd been allowed out of the house since Jillian's funeral. Then she was guarded by both him and Oliver. And he'd let her walk away from him, alone, tonight. But he thought she'd be safe. There was security all over the place. She must have meant another boardroom. Bursting into super-speed, Clark checked all rooms on the floor, even the women's restroom. He sharpened his hearing to listen for sounds of distress. He picked up two heart beats, both agitated. Clark turned toward the sound only to find Oliver and Lois barreling down the hall toward him. It was their heart beats Clark heard.

"Clark," Oliver barked as the three met in the middle of the hallway. "Where's Chloe?"

"I don't know. She's. . . She disappeared, Oliver. I can't find her."

"We will. She probably just stepped out for some air but we need to find her as soon as possible," Oliver said.

Clark could tell something else was wrong, especially by the way Lois looked both scared and excited. The way she looked when she was on the heels of a major story. "What is it? What's going on?"

Oliver met Clark's eyes, his face hard with anger. "I just got word that Lex escaped from prison two hours ago."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_"You,"_ Chloe croaked.

The man smiled. The resemblance to Jonathon Kent, even garbed in the heavy black material of a Priests' cassock, was frightening. Especially given the man's not so wholesome agenda. "I knew you didn't recognize me the first time. Otherwise you would have had security after me in minutes. You know who I am now, though, don't you? We'd met before then. At the employee Christmas party about five years ago. Before you and your Business Boy Toy ruined my life."

_"You _ruined you life. Tends to happen when you play a game of Global Domination with a Luthor," Chloe retorted. She took a few slow, tiny steps toward the second door behind her.

"I wouldn't do that, Ms. Sullivan, if I were you," Mickler said calmly before he crossed to her and took her upper arm in a vice-like grip. Chloe fought hard not to wince. "Come along, please."

"And if I don't?" Chloe asked, digging in her heels as Mickler tried to drag her toward the double doors.

"I just want to talk," he told her easily.

"We can talk here," Chloe replied. She had to stall. Clark was coming.

"Preferably some place where we will not be interrupted." He tried to pull her along behind him again.

"What makes you think we will be interrupted?"

Mickler turned on her. "I know how special you are," he said, his smile turning into a snarl. "There are two men right outside who would tear this place apart trying to find you if you do not return in a timely fashion."

Chloe swallowed. How did he know about Clark? _What_ did he know about Clark? "Where did you have in mind?"

"That's a good girl," Mickler sighed. He loosened his grip as Chloe allowed him to lead her into the hallway. Smoothly, he pushed Chloe in front of him. She stiffened when she felt the barrel of a gun pressing against the small of her back. Chloe rolled her eyes. "No funny business, now," Mickler warned.

"If all you really want to do is talk, what's with the fire power?"

"I've been warned about you."

"I'm sure you have," Chloe muttered.

Mickler pushed her to the bank of elevators on the opposite side from the banquet hall. He reached around and pressed the down button. The doors slide open immediately and they stepped inside. When the doors closed, Mickler released her and dug around inside his robes for something. He withdrew a security pass and waved it in front of the black panel above the key pad.

_"Access granted," _a cool, feminine mechanical voice floated down from the speaker. It was then Chloe knew they were headed to the bowels of the building. The basement labs. Whatever he wanted must be down there. But what was it? Chloe knew that all he would find was a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo and microscopes.

The elevator carried them down in silence. Mickler had replaced the gun back inside his robes and now stood easily at her side. The car beeped at BL4 and halted. Chloe stepped out, followed by Mickler.

"This way, please," Mickler, sickeningly polite, motioned for Chloe to proceed him into an observation room overlooking one of the three large labs that lay in the subterranean quarters of Queen Industries.

"I have to say, Dr. Mickler, if this is about your possible re-employment with Queen Industries, your chances aren't looking so hot," Chloe told him, taking a few steps away and crossing her arms defiantly. _Of all the days to dressed like a stinking fairy!_ Chloe raged inwardly.

"This was never about my job," Mickler responded.

"Really? Could have fooled me with all the threatening notes you sent my way. What else could you have possibly been referring to?"

"I must apologize for those notes. I was not a well man," Mickler began, clasping his hands repentantly before his chest. "I have come to see I was using the wrong tactic."

"And holding me against my will is the tried and true method of the Miss Manners Handbook?" Chloe shot at him.

"Ms. Sullivan, please. I am asking nicely. I need only one thing from you."

"What makes you think I would _ever _help you? You may not have been wielding the knife, but you sure as hell _murdered_ my assistant, an innocent woman who had _nothing_ to do with you and Luthor and your sick mind games!" Chloe felt the venom she possessed for this man flow from her. Fisting her hands, she breathed deeply. She would never unearth what Mickler wanted if she didn't play along.

"He said you would know," Mickler replied with a wondrous look on his face.

_Damn it,_ Chloe thought. She'd already given away she knew he was still working with Luthor. The one possible card she had up her sleeve. "Yeah, well, purple and emotional terrorism always were his colors."

"I am truly sorry about your friend. She was never meant to be drawn into this, but you left me no choice. I had to get your attention somehow," Mickler explained, as if it were all so simple.

"OK, you have it," Chloe replied. "What do you want?"

Mickler reached inside his robes again. Chloe tensed until he pulled out a. . . folded up news clipping? He came forward, arm out-stretched, handing her the crumpled paper. It was older, the date in the upper left hand corner reading April 17th, 2014. From some of the headlines she could tell it had been cut out of the Daily Planet's Society pages.

"Anything look familiar?" Mickler asked.

"Should something?" Chloe returned, staring down at a picture of newly re-elected Mayor Kennington.

"Oh, silly me," Mickler giggled, a creepy sound. "The other side, Ms. Sullivan."

Chloe turned the battered paper over to see a picture of a short, blonde woman walking across a street with big sunglasses hiding most of her face, a paper tucked under her arm and a cup of coffee to go clutched in one hand. She gasped as she read the caption under the picture.

"The King of Queen Industries seems to have picked a new Queen, Metropolis' own business royalty, Chloe Sullivan, CEO of the fast growing, altruistic Isis Foundation," Chloe whispered aloud. Her eyes were drawn to her right wrist, where it was pictured, clear as day.

"So?" She thrust the paper back at him. "I'm in the gossip pages all the time. What's the big deal about this?"

"Interesting piece of jewelry, Ms. Sullivan. Not very common or so I've been told," Mickler continued, not taking the paper.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chloe replied tightly.

"The bracelet on your right wrist. Not something you would find in your everyday department store, I would say. Where did you get it?"

"It was a gift from my cousin," Chloe lied.

"Ah, unusual gift, wouldn't you say?"

"I wouldn't know. My cousin has a weakness for poorly cast, fake antique trinkets. Where's the crime in that?"

"So, you didn't like the gift?" Mickler questioned.

"Not really. I only wore it when I saw her," Chloe said smoothly.

"Were you on your way to see your cousin on this day?"

"Obviously. I'm wearing her hideous gift, aren't I?" Chloe answered with a sarcastic smile.

"Are you close? You and your cousin, I mean?"

"What does she have to do with anything?" Chloe asked, a new fear for Lois being drug into this mess blossuming inside her.

"Just answer the question, Ms. Sullivan," Mickler ordered tensely. Chloe could tell he was losing patience.

"You should have been a detective, Doctor. As Luthor's beck-and-call boy, your interrogation talents are being seriously wasted," Chloe sneered.

"Answer the question!"

"Yes! We're close!" She yelled back.

"Your cousin is Lois Lane, the Daily Planet's very own Katie Couric. And you only wore the bracelet in front of your cousin, as to not hurt her feelings, correct?"

"I already told you that. I don't see what any of this has to do with-"

"There's only one problem, Ms. Sullivan. I have many pictures of you and your cousin. Out to lunch, at the movies, shopping," Mickler ticked off. "You're never wearing the bracelet. This," he jabbed his finger at the picture. "Is the _only_ time you have it on."

Chloe gritted her teeth. "What do you want?"

"I want the bracelet."

"Why? It's just a piece of junk jewelry."

"Oh no, it's not. I know that, Lex knows that and so do you. Otherwise you wouldn't have lied about it. Where is it, Chloe?"

The use of her first name threw her and she glanced up at him. His eyes were bright with excitement that he was so close!

"I don't have it," Chloe answered indifferently.

"I don't believe you."

"You can believe whatever you want, but I don't have it."

"Then where is it?" Mickler's voice tightened again.

"I don't know," Chloe said sharply. "I threw it away."

"No, you didn't."

"Listen, we talked. I don't have your damn bracelet, so I'm going to go now," Chloe announced, side-stepping him only to be yanked back.

"I want that bracelet."

"Well, then, you're going to have to find someone else to help you. Like I said, _I don't have it_," Chloe shook his hold and squared her shoulders, daring him to touch her again. When he made no move, Chloe walked around him.

"Maybe I should I ask your cousin, maybe she knows where you put it. Maybe Mr. Queen knows. Or maybe," Mickler paused as Chloe began to turn the knob on the stainless steel door. "I should ask Connor and Kincaid where Mommy keeps her valuable possessions."

Chloe stopped, chills running over her body at the pure malice in Mickler's voice. She turned, murder in her eyes.

"You so much as _breathe_ in my children's direction, I _will _kill you myself," Chloe told him with frightening calmness.

Mickler began moving toward her. "You can't stop him, Chloe. You, of all people, know how powerful Lex Luthor is. How much more powerful he will become."

Chloe snorted at Mickler's awe-inspired reverence of the a man currently serving life to infinity. "Lex Luthor is in _prison_, Dr. Mickler. There's not much you can do with over a hundred and fifty feet of barbed wire and electric fences, not to mention cement _bars, _between you and the outside world."

"Not anymore. He's free."

"Excuse me?"

"Lex Luthor was released earlier today," Mickler told her.

"Released? Bartered his way out? Or dug out with a pair of spoons?"

"Either way, Lex is out. And it's only a matter of time. He's already granted you clemency if you'll give him the bracelet."

"You can tell Lex Luthor," Chloe started sweetly. "To take his _clemency_ and shove it down his striped jumpsuit."

"So, you won't be helping us?" Mickler clarified.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Over my dead body, will I _ever_ help Lex Luthor again."

"So be it."

Mickler reached inside and pulled out his gun, taking his eyes off Chloe for a second. But that was all she needed. With as much force as Chloe could muster, she swung her right leg in an arc, her foot hitting the delicate bones of his wrist holding the gun. Mickler dropped the gun with a cry of pain as Chloe shifted forward, taking his shoulders and bringing up her left knee, connecting with the soft tissue of his groin. As he sank to his knees, trying to hold his wrist and groin in both hands and moaning, Chloe jumped to his side. She kicked the gun away to the other side of the small room before grabbing the back of his head and smashing it against the steel wall, knocking him momentarily unconscious.

She watched Mickler fall all the way forward, his body limp on the floor. With a heaving chest, Chloe retrieved the gun and daintily stepped over him and opened the door. Keeping the gun trained on his prone form, Chloe backed out the room.

_"CLARK!"_ Chloe screamed, loud and shrill. Within seconds, she heard a mighty rumble above and finally a crash coming from the service stairs on the other side of the lab. Chloe dropped the gun and broke into a run, ducking and dodging the many big machines and lab tables on her way to the stairs. Halfway there, the locked door was torn off and Clark emerged, his royal blue suit making him shine like a sapphire in the harsh fluorescent lighting. He looked frantically around. He'd lost his antennae somewhere along the way, his black hair thick and mussed. _"Clark!"_

Clark finally caught sight of her, running toward him on the lower level of the lab. "Chloe!" Clark vaulted the white railing and landed with a crack before shortening the space between them with his speed. He caught her as she threw herself at him, picking her up and wrapping his arms around her shaking body. Chloe clung to him with her arms and legs, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Hey, hey," Clark murmured soothingly, rubbing her back. "I got you. You're safe, now." Clark turned his head, breathing in the clean scent of her hair and laying a kiss against the soft strands. Chloe pulled back a little and Clark continued on, showering tiny kisses along her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, until he kissed the corner of her mouth. When Chloe didn't pull away, Clark laid his lips softly against hers. Chloe kissed him back shyly. Instinctively, Clark strengthened his hold on her and deepened his kiss, only to feel her soft hands brushing his jaw, lifting his face away from her. He pulled back and looked at her, her lips pressed into a thin line.

She shook her head. "No, Clark. Not yet," Chloe whispered. "I know what the weapon is."

Clark raised his eyebrows at the only words Chloe could have said that would have distracted him from kissing the daylights out of her, damn her resistance.

"It's Blue Kryptonite."

* * *

"How did the two of you let him disappear?" Oliver demanded from his chair behind his desk, still in his Peter Pan costume. It would have totally undermined his rank had it not been for the authoritative timber of his voice.

Clark and Chloe stood side by side in front of the desk, hands fidgeting at their sides. They slid side-long glances to each other. Truth is, neither of them had any idea where Mickler had slithered off to. When they returned to the observation room, Chloe's hand gripped in Clark's, all they found was the crumpled clipping which Chloe swooped up and balled in her fist. The gun, where Chloe had dropped it, was gone along with it's owner. Clark used his x-ray vision and super-hearing but it was as if the man vanished into thin air.

"It's my fault, Oliver," Chloe began. "I heard Clark coming and I took off. I should have stayed and watched him until Clark got there."

"What good would Clark have done?" Lois snorted from her perch on the corner of Oliver's desk. "You should have gotten your asses out of there and called security."

"Lois-" Oliver started.

"No, Ollie! I know how much these two _love _to play Starsky and Hutch, but it always comes off more like Maxwell Smart and Agent 99!"

Oliver squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Lois," he said again. "Please? I need to focus."

"Fine," Lois muttered. "You're the hero."

Oliver looked back to Clark and Chloe. "The most important thing is that you're safe," he said to Chloe. "And at least we know what he wants. Now we just need to know what for."

"Any word on Impulse?" Clark asked, using Bart's code name. Lois cocked a brow at him.

"Yeah, I got a communication from him about ten minutes ago when I radioed and needed a status on Mickler. Said the man had been in his apartment since five-thirty."

"Obviously, it was a decoy," Chloe said.

"I'm sorry," Lois broke in, looking from Clark to Oliver. "Smallville knows about your little group? Which means he knows about you?"

"Yes," Oliver answered shortly, trying to get back on topic. "How-"

"For how long?" Lois asked, sounding annoyed.

"For awhile," Oliver answered calmly.

"As in a couple of years, weeks, minutes, what?"

"Who do you think you kissed that night, Lois? And stop calling me 'Smallville'!" Clark growled.

Lois' face screwed up in a mash of indignation and embarrassment as she stood to her feet, balling her fists _"I'm gonna kill you, Kent!" _

"I'd like to see you try!" Clark yelled back, his frame tensing.

"Clark! Seriously not helping!" Chloe jumped in, catching hold of Clark's arm.

"Can we focus?" Oliver joined, trying to defuse the tension as well. Lois and Clark immediately deflated, looking somewhat ashamed.

"Sorry," Lois muttered, resuming her corner of the desk.

"I'm sorry, Chloe," Clark apologized, moving closer to her. "We're good, Oliver."

"Thank you. Now, if we can get back to business here," Oliver snapped. He sat back down and directed his attention back to Chloe. "How did he know you had the bracelet in the first place?" Oliver asked.

"What bracelet?" Clark asked.

Chloe squirmed a little. "From this." She unfurled the paper and handed it over to Oliver who smoothed it out over his desktop. Lois leaned to the side and Clark took a place behind Oliver, looking over his shoulder. In a small voice, Chloe explained, "I must have forgotten to take if off that morning."

"This was taken a couple of years ago," Clark stated, his head shooting up. Chloe held his gaze for a moment before turning her head and pretended to study the Kandinsky painting hung above the love seat.

"All this fuss," Lois began, her voice unimpressed. "Is about a _bracelet?_ Not to mention an one ugly, too."

"The bracelet is very. . . valuable," Chloe answered her.

"But you never wear it," Lois pointed out.

"You know, Lois, it's a really long story. . ." Chloe trailed off.

"Yeah, it is. One we will fill you in on later," Oliver informed, cutting short any explanation Chloe was about to spin as he stood. "Chloe, contact Cyborg, Aquaman, Canary and Impulse. I want to meet at Watchtower in under an hour." Chloe nodded curtly and took off, sending Lois' bewildered face a smile, her wings bouncing along behind her.

"Is she-"

"Yes, Lois, she helps me," Oliver interrupted.

"I know that, Oliver," Lois returned hotly. "Is she gonna to be safe by herself?"

"From the security feed I saw, she can handle herself. Clark, here are my keys." He tossed his keys to Clark, who caught them easily. "Go grab something to wear from the loft. I know you two have a deadline to meet, so go to the Planet and finish up your work there, but I want _you_ at Watchtower in an hour. Lois, no word on Luthor's escape from prison. I don't care if we can scoop anyone, I want no word of it in the paper until we know more. I'll call some of the other owners and see if I can convince them to do the same."

"Hold up there, Commander Pan!" Lois exclaimed. Both Clark and Oliver stopped and looked at her. She hopped off the desk and took a stance between Clark who stood at the door and Oliver who was a few steps from his office bathroom. _"Clark_ gets to be in on this Watchpoint or whatever it is and _I'm_ supposed to sit at the Planet and twiddle my thumbs?"

"Clark, I'll see you at Watchtower later," Oliver told him as he came over and escorted Clark out of the office. "I need to have a few words our in-house reporter."

* * *

The Situation Room at Watchtower an hour later was a somber place. Dinah and AC sat side by side, holding hands and talking quietly. Chloe had interrupted them both on dates. With each other. From her seat in an overstuffed recliner with a laptop open on her Indian Style crossed legs, Chloe watched them covertly with a smile. Dressed in a nice, red striped Polo on top of pair of chinos, AC actually looked like a grown-up. A very handsome grown-up. Victor was up in the War Room, running updates on everything electronic and Bart was in his usual place on the floor, beside Chloe. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since he arrived. Bart was the youngest of the Leaguers at twenty-seven. They all pretty much treated him as the baby brother, which was why his carefree and cavalier attitude remained. Even though he was at times the one who made them all want to pull out their hair, he made their work fun and less stressful with his sunny disposition. However, tonight he was all doom and gloom as the rest. Chloe, currently emailing Oliver's private jet crew his flight plan, saved her work and shut the computer.

"Hey," she said softly, running a hand through Bart's long, sandy colored curls. Oliver was always after him to get a hair cut, but he never did.

Bart startled. He turned his head up to look at her. "Hey," he replied.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." His voice said the opposite.

Chloe shifted the computer to balance on the arm of the chair and slid down to sit beside Bart. She'd changed from Tinkerbell into Mom chic, sporting a loose pull-over sweatshirt on top of some ratty jeans she'd found at Watchtower. The puff-ball flats had to stay as Chloe could find no other shoes, but they were currently kicked off somewhere in the room. Dinah and AC glanced over, watching. They, too, had tried to draw Bart out when he'd arrived only to be met with stony silence. Slipping an arm around his shoulders, Chloe leaned over and laid her head against his."It could have happened to anyone."

"No," Bart replied. "It wouldn't have happened to Oliver. It wouldn't have happened to Clark."

Chloe smiled as she said, "Yeah, but Clark has x-ray vision and Oliver has made his share of mistakes, too." Clark and Oliver were Bart's personal heroes and Chloe hated he felt he didn't measure up to them. "How were you to know he'd figured out someone was following him? There's no way he could have seen you, you're too fast."

"I put you in danger, Chloe. It's because of me that you could have-" Bart broke off, emotion clogging his throat.

"But I'm _not_, Bart," Chloe said strongly. "I'm here and I'm alive and I'm fine." Chloe gripped his hand, jerking him a little so he would look at her. "See?"

"You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"

"Not as long as you keep thinking this is all your fault. We know what to look for, now, Bart. It was me and Clark who lost him when it counted," Chloe answered.

"I guess that's true," Bart muttered with a smile.

A few minutes later, Oliver and Clark walked in, signaling the beginning of the meeting. Hearing the commotion downstairs, Victor made his way down, still slightly buzzing when he sat down in the chair Clark was leaning against.

"It's time, guys," Oliver began, his face grim. "Lex Luthor escaped from prison. He's already disappeared underground so that means whatever he's got planned, it's going to go down fast and soon. Is everything in place for our trip to Russia?" Oliver asked Chloe. Thankfully Chloe filled everyone in as they arrived, now all was left were the brass tacks.

"Yes," she answered, her arm still around Bart. "Your flight crew knows to expect you and a certain number of guests to be arriving within the hour."

"Good, now I went ahead and stocked the plane with everything we're going to need in Russia. Victor, is the War Room ready to go?"

"Yes, sir. All updated, encrypted and ready to roll whenever we are," Victor answered.

"OK. Dinah, Victor and Bart, you three are with me. Bart, Victor, start loading up the equipment. Dinah, you go on over to the hangar and help get the jet ready. We three will meet you in a little while." The three Leaguers stood to their feet and began to ready for the mission. Dinah leaned over and kissed AC quickly on the cheek. Most of the men averted their eyes to the display of affection.

"You can look now," Dinah quipped. Most of the guys, except AC, cleared their throats and began to bustle around the room more freely.

"Be careful," Chloe told her when Dinah stepped over to her.

"You, too." Dinah reached over and pulled Chloe into an embrace. "Bye." Dinah waved and she left the room.

"What are we supposed to do, Arrow?" AC asked as he and Clark were the last standing with Oliver as Bart and Victor carted boxes and carriers through the open space and down to the unmarked van Oliver had arrived in.

"You and Clark are in charge of Watchtower," Oliver answered with a glance at Chloe.

"You're not going?" AC questioned, gesturing to both Clark and Chloe.

"Oliver and I agreed that for my safety and the safety of the group, that I should stay away from this one," Chloe answered.

"What about Clark? Don't you need him and all his super-ness?"

"Oliver wants me to stay and man the front here. If some part of Lex's plan _does _involve Chloe, he'll have a hell of a time getting through me," Clark explained.

"That covers the landlubbers. What about me, dude? Why am I stuck in Prairie-ville?"

"While Clark is working at the Planet with Lois, they can keep their ears open if something comes over the wires about Lex or anything. While he's in the city you'll be at the farm with Chloe, Martha and the boys."

"Dude, Mama K's in the house?" AC said excitedly.

"She came in today to see Chloe," Clark replied. "When I went to the house to check on her and the boys, I told her she probably would need to go back to D.C., but she doesn't want to leave Chloe."

"I'll talk to her when I get home, Clark. I don't want her to be in danger," Chloe told him, touching his arm.

"No, it's OK. She wants to stay with you and the boys."

"And she's a Kent. Good luck talking her out of something once she's made up her mind," Chloe finished.

"Exactly," Clark replied with a grin.

Clark, AC and Chloe accompanied the group to the tarmac. AC and Dinah hugged one more time, while Chloe hugged each one of the guys, giving Bart an extra squeeze. When she got to Oliver, she paused.

"Come back safe, you hear me?" She told him sternly.

"I hear ya," Oliver smiled. "This is not different than any of the other times you've sent me off."

"Yeah, it is. Lois will kill me if you get hurt right after I've returned you," Chloe responded lightly. "Oliver, I-"

"I get it. You, too." Oliver leaned over and kissed Chloe quickly on the cheek. Chloe stepped back to Clark and AC, standing between them. They watched the plane taxi down the strip and finally take flight into the cold night air. They watched until it was no more than a tiny dot in the sky.

Chloe took both hands of Clark and AC. "Come on, boys. Let's go home."

* * *

The next morning found Martha, Clark, AC and Chloe all seated around the island on bar stools, varying stages of filled coffee cups clutched in their hands. Connor and Kaid were conked out on the couch, clearly visible to all adults. To their delight, they'd been allowed to stay up late last night with Uncle AC and Uncle Clark, watching whatever movies were being shown on USA. Thankfully, given most of movies gruesome content since it was All Hallows Eve, both boys dropped off not an hour into the first Halloween movie, snuggled safely between AC and Clark. Martha and Chloe had stayed in the kitchen, talking in whispers.

"How long does it take to get to Russia?" AC asked, his voice sounding deep and foreign after the long stretch of silence that had been broken.

"Normally, it would take a little over ten or eleven hours, but with the changes Victor made to the jet and it's smaller size, it should only be about five or six," Chloe answered. She looked at her watch. The team had left about one in the morning and it was now half past six. "We should be getting confirmation that they've landed soon."

"Anyone want any breakfast?" Martha asked, sliding off her bar stool. She'd refused to return to Washington D.C., when it was very clear she was needed here. Things would not pick up for another week or two and then there would be the final push before the Holiday Break, which she could easily get back in time for once this crisis passed. She needed to be with her family.

"Sure, Mrs. K. I'd never say no to some of your homemade waffles," AC replied.

"Waffles it is," Martha smiled, patting AC on the shoulder before she began to gather the ingredients.

"I'll help," Chloe offered.

"No, no. You all sit. I work faster by myself anyway." Martha successfully shooed them all over to the table, giving her more room to work.

"I don't get it," AC began a few minutes after Chloe had refilled his mug and hers, pouring Clark a glass of orange juice afterward and setting it before him.

"What?" Clark asked.

"It was a mistake any of us could make, but how did Bart _not _know the guy in the apartment wasn't Mickler?"

"From what Bart said," Clark explained. "He'd been trailing Mickler all day. He went back to his apartment around five-thirty and never moved from his spot on the couch. All he could see was the back of his head. Bart said he watched the people coming and going and didn't even suspect that a switch had been pulled. He saw the Priest leave the building around six, his hood pulled up but when Bart looked back at the window, Mickler's decoy was sitting on the couch, watching the evening news. Bart never even thought to check the Priest out."

"The building is one of places the housing authority places a lot of Metropolis' lower income elderly couples. He could have been easily visiting one of his parishioners. From what Dinah told me, when she talked to some of the business owners in the neighborhood, it's not odd to see any and all types of clergy coming in and out of the apartment buildings," Chloe added.

"But how did Mickler get into Queen Industries? Wasn't he red-flagged by the security?"

"He should be, but I didn't know him when he delivered those flowers and with his strong resemblance to Mr. Kent-"

"This guy looks like my dad?"

"Oh, yeah. They could be twins, 'Scout. Totally unnerving. Don't you think so?" AC responded.

"No," Clark answered. He'd seen the man on the security tapes Oliver showed them of him and Chloe in the labs, but Clark didn't see any likeness to his father.

"Well, I guess it's not a big deal. You think they'll find anything over there?"

Chloe looked at AC. "I hope so. I've gotten used to a world without a loose Luthor in it, I'm a little spoiled to it."

Chloe's computer dinged over on the counter and she jumped up to open it. When she did, the screen activated and Oliver, Bart, Victor and Dinah were crowded around the small camera linked between the two computers. They were all dressed in black. Re-con clothes.

"Trip was uneventful and we're here," Oliver started. "Boyscout, did you get the target somewhere safe?"

"Yeah, nobody should be able to find it except me," Clark answered. He'd found the bracelet, right where Chloe said it would be. On the top shelf of her closet, in a box with a smashed picture of the two of them taken on Clark's twenty-first birthday out at Crater Lake. He'd wonder about it later. He didn't have time right now. Before returning to the city, he'd taken it up to the Fortress. Jor-El had sensed his presence and had tried to speak to him, but Clark ignored the disembodied voice. His anger toward his biological father was one more thing he didn't have time to deal with.

"Good. It's still a couple of hours until full darkness here so we're going to hang out for a while. We'll let you know if we find anything," Oliver said.

"OK. Be safe, guys," Clark replied.

"Will do, Boyscout. Arrow, out." Oliver made a motion and the screen went blank. Chloe, AC, Clark and Martha, who had come over a little to see, all breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

"Mom, can I go play outside? _Please?_" Kaid whined at Chloe's elbow as she was putting the finishing touches on her new L.L. Database.

"Kaid, I already told you. I want you and your brother to stay close today," she replied.

"But I can stay close _outside_."

"Kaid," Chloe began, looking at him. "What did I just say?"

Kaid pulled his face into a pout. "Yes ma'am."

"Come here," Chloe shuffled the laptop over to the other side of her bed. She pulled Kaid into her lap. Laughter could be heard below where the others were playing some game with Connor while Chloe had retreated up to her bedroom to work on a new program for Watchtower since Lex was back on the prowl. "Why aren't you downstairs with everyone else?"

"I don't know," Kaid whispered.

"Do you not feel good?" Chloe asked, lifting her hand to his forehead. She knew it was preposterous, since Connor and Kaid hardly got sick anymore, but she did it anyway.

"I feel fine. I always feel fine," Kaid muttered.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Mom? Can I ask you something?"

Chloe raised her head from his hair. "Of course. What is it?"

"Where do we come from?"

"Honey, what do you mean?" Chloe knew kids were getting older all the time, but was it right to have the sex talk with your seven year old?

"The other day, I heard you and Aunt Martha talking about me and Connor. She said we needed to know where we came from. What did she mean?"

Chloe closed her eyes tiredly. She had always known this day would come. When the boys' questions would no longer be sated with her 'You're just special' line. She'd always planned on having this conversation with them at one point, but as foolish as it was, she'd always hoped either Clark would miraculously return or she could combine both 'the birds and the bees' and 'half-Kryptonian' into one whole afternoon. Clark _had _miraculously returned, but he needed to know first in order to have this chat with his sons. And there was no way that was happening with this un-forecasted break out of evil they were fighting. Kaid shifted, turning to look at Chloe from the side.

"Kaid," Chloe started, only to be stopped by Clark calling up the stairs to her.

"When did my life become a Danielle Steel novel?" Chloe whispered. "Coming!" Kaid didn't budge, just sat, staring up at her. "Sweetie, I _promise_ we will have this talk. But right now-"

Kaid slid off her lap. "It's OK, Mom."

Chloe grabbed his little hand. "I love you." She pulled her son close, nuzzling her nose to his like she used to when he was a baby.

Kaid grinned, looking so much like Clark with blonde hair. "I love you, too, Mom."

"Chloe!" Clark called again.

"Go tell him I'll be down in a second," Chloe instructed Kaid. The boy sprinted out of the room and Chloe could hear him speaking to Clark. For a second, Chloe allowed the weight of everything press her down, letting it push her forward to hang her head down, almost between her knees. _Damn Lex Luthor and his extremely bad timing,_ Chloe growled in her head. Something rubbed her back and Chloe jumped with a yelp.

"Whoa, Chloe, sorry. It's just me," Clark said hurriedly as he squatted in front of her. "Are you OK?"

"As fine as everyone else is," Chloe answered, sitting back and tucking her disheveled hair behind her ears. "What's up?"

"You have a telephone call from a lady named Janice Boroughs. I tried to take a message but she says it's very important."

Chloe's eyes widened and she hopped off the bed, moving so quickly Clark staggered back and into her night table, knocking over a lamp. "Did she say what she wanted?" Chloe asked excitedly.

"No, just that she _needs_ to speak with you. Who is it, Chloe?"

"She's the secretary to Collin Parker, the head of the Metropolis Grant committee. Isis is up for their yearly Humanitarian Business Grant!" Chloe took off, skipping down the stairs.

"Here she is," AC spoke into the phone before handing it over to Chloe.

"Hello?" She said breathlessly.

"Ms. Sullivan, this is Janice Boroughs. I work for Collin Parker and he would like to see you as soon as possible concerning your grant application," the woman spoke in a low, business-like tone.

"Of course. When?"

"Would you be able to come in today?"

"On a Sunday?" Chloe didn't even work on Sundays, or tried not to.

"Well, yes. Mr. Parker is going out of town on business for the next couple of weeks and a decision on the grant is needed by Thanksgiving. Mrs. Lewis has confirmed for one o'clock this afternoon, otherwise Mr. Parker would be more than-"

"No, no, that's fine. What time?"

"Three o'clock? Would that be possible?"

"That's perfect. I will be there. Thank you."

"Oh, Ms. Sullivan!" The woman exclaimed, stopping Chloe from disconnecting.

"Yes?"

"We will need you to bring a copy of your company's by-laws and mission statement. One of Mr. Parker's assistant misplaced some of the paperwork for the grant applicants and those were the only two things missing from your file."

"No problem."

"Good. See you later, then."

"Yes, thank you." Chloe hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Clark asked from behind her.

Chloe turned and faced the little group that had assembled behind her. "Mr. Parker, the head of the Grant committee needs to see me today, which means I have to make a trip into the city."

"Chloe," Clark began, taking her arm and leading her away. AC followed. "Do you really think that is a good idea?"

"Clark, Isis needs this grant. My competition has already agreed to meet this afternoon. I let Lex Luthor bully me out of something I really loved once, I will _not_ allow it to happen a second time," Chloe finished with force.

Clark looked at AC, who shrugged his shoulders. "Fine," Clark sighed. "But I'm coming with you. I can get some work done at the Planet. You gonna be good without us?" Clark asked AC.

"We'll be fine. I can call in reinforcements if needed," AC answered, referring to some of the other newbie Leaguers.

"All right. I'm going to go grab a shower. Can't meet Collin Parker looking like I went one round with a psycho Priest!"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chloe and Clark made the drive to Metropolis in near silence. Chloe was already nervous about the impending super-bomb she was going to drop on Clark sometime soon. Add to it the pressure of her impromptu grant candidacy meeting and the tenterhooks she was hanging by with some of the Leaguers in Russia, she was rendered nearly incapable of speech. Scenery flashed by as Chloe fidgeted with the thick booklet containing the company's by-laws, along with the two page mission statement she was asked to bring. Sighing for about the sixth time, Chloe relaxed her eyes and just let the fields outside of the window become one long, passing golden river.

Clark sat next her, the wheel gripped loosely between his fingers. She'd insisted they drive, giving her ample time to rehearse any speech she may be called upon to give. He glanced over at her. The weight was back. Whatever Clark thought Chloe had shed last night was back and sitting on her shoulders again. Was it as simple as Lex Luthor was again a free but wanted man? Was it the face to face meeting she'd had with Mickler? Or was it something more? Clark hoped she would talk to him today. It was the biggest reason he'd agreed to this snail travel instead of flying them both to Metropolis in three minutes or less. But all she did was stare out the window. And Clark refused to push her. She would come to him in her own time.

It was obvious now that 'Chlollie', as the gossip pages had christened the Metropolis' very own 'Brangelina', had run aground. The question was, what was he going to do with it? He had two options. He could tell her where he stood. Clark knew Chloe was the end for him. There would never be anyone else but her. Or he could just walk away. It would depend on what she wanted. He would love Connor and Kaid like his own, too, in case that was a concern for her. Clark would do anything, whatever she wanted, just to be with her. The fact was, though, that she still jumped Oliver's bones two seconds after the door shut behind him. And as many times as he said it hardly bothered him anymore, it did. He still wanted answers, but today was not the day for questions.

Minutes ticked by until finally the Metropolis skyline began to appear in front of them. Clark drove Chloe's SUV right into the heart of downtown, taking a left onto Metropolis Avenue and circling the block to pull into the Daily Planet parking garage.

"Crap," Clark muttered.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"I don't have a parking pass. I don't normally _drive _to work."

"Oh, that," Chloe replied, waving her hand. She opened her glove box and pulled out a Daily Planet placard that she hung from the rear-view mirror. The security guard manning the booth waved them through. "One of the perks of knowing the owner."

Clark couldn't help the small grin that formed when Chloe said 'knowing' instead of 'dating'. _If we can just get through these next couple of days, _Clark thought as he pulled into a parking space on the third level. He stepped out of the vehicle, reaching back in to take Chloe's things from her as she got out, too. Clark walked around the end of the car, meeting Chloe on her side. "So, where to?"

"_You_," Chloe began, taking her things from Clark before he could protest. "Are going in to work on whatever you have to do while I go to meet Mr. Parker and I'll meet you back here when I'm done."

"Chloe, I'm walking over there with you. I'm going to sit with you until you go into that meeting and then I'll come here. You'll call me when your done and I will come and get you."

"Clark, it's November the 1st. All Saints Day on a Sunday. If there was one day where no one had anything heinous planned, it would be today. I'll be fine."

"Chloe-"

"Please, Clark," Chloe stopped him. "Don't make me feel helpless. I already cut myself out of the Russia trip, letting Victor play Watchtower. If something seems weird, I'll call."

"On the phone?"

"No, I'll _call_ you_._ I know you'll keep an ear out for me. You always do." And with a smile, Chloe pranced away from him, leaving him standing and staring after her.

* * *

The doors to the American Title &amp; Shares building on Buchanan, where Collin Parker's office was located, were locked. Chloe pulled and rattled until an elderly maintenence man waddled over.

"Sorry, miss, but building's closed today," the bulldog face told her.

"That can't be right. I have a meeting with Mr. Collin Parker," Chloe replied.

"No ma'am, 'fraid you're mistaken. Just me and a couple of other janitors. None of the business folk is here."

"Could you check, please? I had a call from his secretary this morning requesting a meeting. It's very important," Chloe pleaded.

With a huff and then a kind smile, the man pulled a walkie-talkie from his tool belt and radioed someone named Stevens. Chloe waited five minutes for Stevens to go check the floor Collin Parker's office was on.

"No one here, Doyle. Shut down and locked up," the voice crackled over the line.

Chloe's face fell. The man named Davis looked at her with a sad expression. "Sorry, miss."

"Thank you for your help. Maybe I have the date wrong or something. I'm sorry to have bothered you," Chloe replied.

"No problem, young lady. You have a nice day." Bulldog Doyle allowed the glass door to shut, locking it tight with his ring of keys.

Chloe walked along the nearly deserted sidewalk. Janice Boroughs had said this afternoon, at three o'clock. Chloe realized the woman had never said where, though. Maybe she was at the wrong place. If Chloe remembered correctly, sometimes Collin Parker hosted meetings in his loft in the art district. It would make sense for him to hold his meetings there, especially on a Sunday. She quickened her steps toward Isis. She'd been hoping to avoid a visit to her office today, but she was sure she had Janice's number in her rolodex on her desk, so to her office she would go. She would simply call her and find out.

Rounding the corner, Chloe made the eight block distance between Buchanan and Lady Scots, the street where Isis resided, in less than ten minutes, thanks to the light walking and car traffic on Sunday. The double doors to Isis were unlocked due to the emergency counseling services it provided on the weekends. Isis' doors only closed at ten o'clock, or when the last counselor went home. Chloe waved to the one security guard they scheduled on the weekends. His name was Doug Weimar, a man of medium height and build,who usually worked nights.

"Hi, Doug. How are you today?" Chloe asked as she stopped for a second.

"Good, Ms. Sullivan. What are you doing in today?" Doug asked. He was middle aged, with sandy brown hair and had once asked Chloe out when she'd been leaving late one night a few months before she began dating Oliver. Chloe had declined and Doug had accepted graciously, but Chloe always had a strange feeling he still held it against her.

"Just needed to get something from my office. Who's all here?" Chloe began to walk, as Doug stood to accompany her over to the elevator.

"The normal weekend crowd. We were all sorry to hear about Jillian," Doug said, pressing the up button for her.

"Thanks, Doug. It was horrible. She was such a sweet girl," Chloe replied quietly.

"Do the police have any leads on who did it?"

"Not that I know of." The elevator door opened and Chloe stepped in. "See ya, Doug."

Doug lifted a hand and smiled as the doors closed. Chloe shivered once out of sight. Sometimes he gave her the chills.

* * *

"Have you been here all night, Lois?" Clark asked, spying the tall woman, still dressed in her Red Riding Hood costume, minus the red riding hood, hunkered over her desk, typing feverishly. Her desk was littered with candy bar wrappers and Red Bull cans. Clark listened to her heart pumping along at an elevated rate, probably due to the number of energy drinks she'd consumed since last night.

"As a matter of fact, I was, _Smallville,"_ Lois sneered, sitting up straight and blinking at him rapidly. "While you were off saving the world, I was doing my part, too. Only I was writing the story of a lifetime that will never be published!"

"Come on, Lois," Clark said, sitting in his chair right across from her. "Oliver will lift the gag-order as soon as the team is back from Russia."

"Oh, so it's 'the team' is it?" Lois snarled as she popped the top on another Red Bull can.

"Please tell you are not still sore about last night," Clark replied, opening his email.

"No," Lois muttered, telling Clark she actually still was. "But Oliver could have used my help, too. I'm probably more useful than you are, which brings me to my next point of what do _you _do that got you inducted into the Justice League? The only super thing I've ever seen you do is lift a heavy hay bale and I don't think Oliver sees much hay in his line of work."

"If Oliver wanted you to know, he would have told you," Clark snapped, closing the subject, hoping that the other two people in the room had not overheard Lois' tirade.

Lois looked at him for a few seconds, her face hard. Then she shook it off. "Fine, but I know you're hiding something, Clark. And I don't like it, but I'll let you and Ollie have your little secret. As long as it doesn't put my baby cousin on the line I'm fine with it."

Clark squirmed slightly. The Blue Kryptonite bracelet was his. Why Chloe had been wearing it out in public he didn't know. It wasn't _directly _his fault, but Clark had a over-active guilt mechanism. Shaking his head, he returned to his work.

"Don't you want to know?"

Clark leaned to the side and looked at Lois. Her annoyance with him was gone, replaced by a shining excitement in her eyes. She was bursting at the seams to tell him something. She switched so often from barely standing him to being one of his best friends, it was hard to keep track of Lois' roller-coaster personality. "Do I want to know what, Lois?"

"How he did it," she said vaguely.

"How who did what?"

"How Lex broke out of prison."

Clark narrowed his eyes. "You know how Lex did it?"

Lois sat back in her chair with a satisfied smile. "I do."

"Lois," Clark growled. "I'm not in the mood to play twenty questions with you."

"He walked out."

"He just. . . walked out?"

"Yep," Lois replied, crossing her legs. "Oliver asked me to drum up everything and anything I could find on our resident phoney Psychiatrist, Dr. Mickler. Seems Dr. Mickler has been playing doctor with none other than Lex Luthor for the past four and half years he's been incarcerated."

Clark already knew this, but he didn't want to distract Lois into another foray as to why he was a part of Oliver's League, so he just nodded.

"Two or three days ago, Mickler diagnosed Lex with Hypomania Bipolar Disorder and deemed him mentally incompetent to remain in prison. Mickler went before the medical board of the Kansas State Penitentiary and asked for Lex to be transfered to Belle Reve so he could be institutionalized and serve his prison sentence there, under Dr. Mickler's care."

"But Mickler is not a real psychiatrist and he doesn't work at Belle Reve. How was even able to get a meeting with the Penitentiary Medical Board?" Clark asked.

"False documents, Clark!" Lois exclaimed.

"The state checks, Lois. They call and follow up before looking into any request a doctor hands in for a patient. They also have their own physician at the prison examine the inmate," Clark told her.

"And how do you know all this?"

"A story I did when Chloe and I were in high school," Clark explained. For two or three months after Lionel went to prison, Clark had an irrational fear Lionel would break out or somehow get his sentence overturned on a mental illness rap and come after Chloe again. Clark did hours on top hours of research until Chloe finally laid a hand on top of his head after he'd fallen asleep in front of his computer in the Torch, waking him up.

_"Let's go home, Clark," Chloe said softly and then she saw the computer screen. Clark blushed a pale pink as he explained and received a tender smile from his best friend. "I have it on good authority my friend Clark Kent, won't let him get a second chance. Now, either take me home or get me a recharge of caffeine because my battery is fixing to die!"_

"Well, anyway," Lois started again. "It doesn't matter _how _it was done, Clark, the point it it _was _done. Lex got put in for a transfer to Belle Reve and it was granted."

"So how did he miss the off ramp to Belle Reve from the prison?" Clark asked, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands in his lap.

"I have a source in Belle Reve. He owes me a couple of favors for hushing up some extra-marital activities he participated in. It seems that the van sent to retrieve Lex arrived at the Kansas State Penitentiary as scheduled and dropped the patient off as scheduled at Belle Reve. Lex was admitted and then deposited in his cell-"

"Wait, how did Mickler even get Lex a place at Belle Reve? He doesn't work there!" Clark pointed out.

"Back in the late 80's, Luthorcorp and Belle Reve partnered on this experimental drug. Mickler was the head scientist working on the project. The drug was discontinued a few years later, citing unmanageable tremors and organ infection but in his time there, Mickler made a few friends. My source doesn't know for sure, but he thinks one of the head doctors forged Mickler's documents for him."

"OK, so Lex made it into a cell and then what? Tunneled his way out in a straight jacket?"

"If you'll let me finish," Lois snapped. "The orderly who admitted Lex and placed him in his cell was also the driver of the van. He said on their way, Lex became quite violent and somehow took a chunk out of his partner's hand. _With his teeth._ So they had to go all Silence of the Lambs on him. He had a muzzle on, Clark."

"It wasn't Lex," Clark said, Lois' meaning dawning on him.

Lois smiled, almost looking like a proud teacher. "After they sedated him and took the leather muzzle off, it turned out to be one of the security guards they sent with the orderlies to pick Lex up. By that time, the van was gone with no trace of Lex."

"What did the security guard say? What happened?"

"He says he was overpowered. The orderly knocked him out and when he woke up next he was muzzled and Lex was sitting in the driver seat wearing his uniform. And the same thought crossed my mind that I'm sure is running through yours right now. How did they mistake a sandy haired man for the shiny cue ball of Lex Luthor? He had on a hooded jacket, a caution against paparazzi who got wind of the transfer and wanted to make a couple of bucks."

"We need to talk to this guy, Lois. See if he knows anything," Clark told her as he stood. "What's his name and address? He may have heard something."

"Hold up there, Sherlock. I've already checked him out. It seems the name and information he gave to the police were fake. When I called the security firm that Belle Reve contracts with, they told me Belle Reve hadn't called for any additional security to be sent over yesterday," Lois responded with disappointment.

"This guy was in on it. Do you have anything? A real name? A birthdate?"

"No, but I do have a picture of him my source sent over from Belle Reve," Lois answered as she jumped up and grabbed a sheet of paper from the corner of her desk.

Lois met him at the end of their pushed together desks. "This is the guy," she sighed, handing the photo over to Clark.

Clark knew from Chloe's frightening stint in the mental hospital that Belle Reve monitored all their high risk patients through an unobtrusive camera in the corner. Clark focused on the guy's face. It was a grainy screen shot but it was pretty clear.

"You know, if this guy did work at Reynold's Security, we could fax over the photo and maybe they could. . ." Lois' voice faded from Clark's consciousness as a memory came over him.

_He was hurrying to Isis after Chloe called. The door had been thrown open by an middle aged man with sandy hair and somewhat shorter than Clark, dressed in a security guard uniform. _

_"Good afternoon, sir," the man said. Clark looked over and nodded, not paying him any attention as he caught sight of all the other expensively clothed men in black suits strategically placed around the lobby. His name tag read. . ._

The name was right there. "We don't have to check with the security firm, Lois."

"Why not? Clark, if he's a fake then-"

"He's not," Clark said, tossing the picture back to her and going to his computer, quickly bringing up Reynold's Security Web Page.

"What are you doing?" Lois asked as she leaned over his shoulder, craning her neck to see around him.

"If you use your Web Page to garner new business, you're always going list the biggest names you've done business with, right?"

"Sounds like a good plan. Where is this going?"

"Right there," Clark crowed, pointing to two words in the middle of an alphabetical list of all the companies Reynold's serviced.

"Isis Foundation," Lois whispered. She swallowed as she looked over at Clark.

"I've seen this guy before," Clark told her, grabbing the picture out of Lois' limp hands. "He was at Isis the day Chloe received the flowers with Jillian's murder weapon inside. His name is Doug."

* * *

"Thank you, Mrs. Boroughs. I'm truly sorry to have bothered you at home," Chloe apologized.

"Well," the woman sniffed. "I am, too. But when my answering service told me who it was, I had no other choice but to speak with you. Mr. Collins will not be making any decision until after the New Year. I don't know who called you this morning, Ms. Sullivan, but it certainly wasn't me."

"Again, I am sorry."

"Don't worry," the woman relented nicely. "I do know how important this grant is to you. I'm sorry you had to come in on a Sunday because of someone's ill mannered prank. Have a good day."

"You, too."

Chloe hung up the phone. Her brows met in confusion. Picking up the phone again, she dialed the farm. It rang and rang until kicking over to the answering machine. Trying to mentally slow her pulse, Chloe dialed Martha's cell phone. She breathed a sigh of relief when the woman answered.

"Hey, are you at the house?" Chloe asked.

"No. AC and I took the boys for some ice cream. Do we need to head home?"

"No!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Chloe, is everything all right?"

"I don't know. My meeting seems to have been a hoax. I'm heading back over to Clark now. Could you do me a favor and stay put until Clark and I get there? I am now officially unnerved."

"Sure. Will you be traveling by air or ground?" Martha asked coyly.

"Whichever Clark sees fit. Be there in a couple of minutes." Chloe hung up the phone again only to pick it up once more.

There was no dial tone. Chloe hit the lever a couple of times. Nothing happened. Cradling the phone, Chloe reached inside her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She hit one of her speed dial buttons but the screen blinked at her, reading 'No Service'. Chloe frowned again. She always had reception in her office. Tossing the phone back in her purse, Chloe stood and slung the bag over her shoulder. She started to get the feeling this was all an elaborate ruse to get her out of the house. But what about Martha and AC and the boys? Were they supposed to leave the house, too, or had that just been a happy coincidence?

Chloe locked her office doors and went to wait for the elevator. There was only one elevator that led to her office and she tapped her foot impatiently as it groaned it's way up to her. The doors finally opened and Chloe stepped inside. She pressed the L button and the dug out her cell again. Still no service.

"Damn it," Chloe muttered, throwing it back into her bag. She lifted her head and looked at her reflection in the mirror-like doors. That's when she saw it. Chloe's fists tightened as she stepped over and yanked off a large, folded over piece of paper taped to one of the doors. She opened it, fighting the bile rising in her throat. In neat, purple script, she read her death sentence.

_You were warned._

Chloe looked up and around, finally seeing a small, blinking light in the upper corner where the camera should be. She knew she'd never be able to reach it. She didn't even know if she wanted to. The last time she was in an elevator with a bomb, it had been a brightly wrapped package of pliable C4. This looked to be a series of charges set around the top perimeter of the elevator. Chloe swallowed.

"You really want me dead, don't you, Lex?" Chloe bit out. "_Why?!"_ She screamed. All of a sudden, the elevator screeched to a stop and the lights flickered out. Would she have enough time to call for Clark before she got blown to bits? Would he even hear her? In the dark, a stop-watch blinked on, illuminating along the bottom of the trigger point in red.

_2:17 _blinked at her, counting down by the second. Even in a minute and some seconds, Clark would never reach her. It was up to Chloe to save herself. And if not, she'd go down with a fight. Chloe looked up. She had just enough light to make out the emergency trapdoor in top of the car. Positioning herself under it, she stood up on her tiptoes. Even in her normal three inch heels, she was still missing crucial inches.

_2:09. _Chloe jumped, her fingers barely brushing the hatch.

_2:05. _Chloe felt around for the hand rail, which stuck out about half a foot from the wall. Bringing up one leg, she balanced a toe on the rail before bracing her hands on the smooth walls, praying this would work. Chloe pushed upward with a grimace. Somehow, she wedged her foot between the wall and the rail. She brought the other one up, balancing precariously as she tried again to reach her escape route.

_0:58. _With pounding fists, Chloe beat the hatch upward until with a screech it finally gave way. Balancing again on her toes, Chloe grabbed hold of the rim and pulled herself over. With a yelp, she pulled herself upward, gritting her teeth until she was sure she tasted blood. Finally, Chloe hooked a leg up and pulled herself the rest of the way. She looked around as she stood, seeing the elevator was still stationary in the shaft.

"What are you going to do now?" Chloe asked herself. There was a beep. And then another beep. Chloe grasped the thick steel cable as a final beep sounded. Gripping the cable and ignoring the way it bit into her soft hands, Chloe wrapped her legs around and began to pull herself away as fast a she could. Chloe could feel the cable begin to vibrate as the charges went off, powerful enough to ring in her ears and chatter her teeth. She thought of Connor and Kaid as the cable shook with the explosions she felt beneath her, their little faces causing her to pull harder, push harder. Looking down, she saw she was at least a good foot away. There was a bright flash and Chloe buried her face against her arm, sobbing.

Suddenly, there was silence. Chloe peeked over. And just as suddenly, there was a great twisting sound and Chloe watched in horror as the car separated away from the roof and fell with ever-gaining speed to the depths below, sparks bouncing around the walls as it went. She heard it hit the ground with a resounding crash.

"Oh, God. . ." Chloe cried as she swung dangerously on the cable. She clung the thick robe of steel between her thighs, locking her ankles together for more support, finally thankful for all the survival training she'd gone through with Oliver. Her hands were becoming slippery with sweat and blood and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would slide down to the roof of the elevator that was still attached, but barely. Even with her small weight it might be enough to upset the balance and she would plummet behind the elevator car to ground.

So Chloe did the only other thing she knew to do. She screamed.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The moment Clark said the man worked at Isis, Lois went off like a canon, yelling at him to call Oliver and the police, to have the man arrested and tortured. And under all this, Clark was hearing something. He cocked his head to the side, listening to some kind of small pops in rapid succession and then some mechanical screeching, metal on metal friction.

"Lois, shut up for a second, will you?" Clark snapped harshly, trying to listen more closely and to concentrate on what exactly he was hearing. He picked up some crackling, sounding a lot like radio interference.

"What, Clark?" Lois snapped back three seconds later.

Wondering if he was hearing something inside the building, he looked around. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lois crossed her arms. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation about a serious topic with you and you're off having inner ear issues!"

"Crackling. I'm hearing crackling," Clark described indifferently, abandoning his desk chair and rounding a group of desks, looking and scanning as he walked. He was getting closer to it. A tiny scream filled his ears and he stopped.

"You mean, a _crackling _like this?" Lois asked as she reached down below her desk and brought out a small, portable black radio.

"Is that a police scanner?"

"Yes," Lois answered haughtily while Clark looked around. There were still noises he was picking up on, but they weren't coming from the scanner.

"I got it just in case Lex was apprehended before Oliver and _the team, _as you so fondly call them, were back from Russia. How did you hear this? I have it on the lowest setting," Lois finished, bending down and putting her ear to the speaker.

Another scream. The hair on the back of Clark's neck stood up. He focused, trying to pinpoint the direction of the sound.

"Clark. . ." Lois broke in. Clark glanced over at her. She was still leaning down next to the speaker. She met his eyes, her own filled with fear. "There's been some kind of explosion at Isis."

Clark's heart stopped. The screams. . . "Lois, go to Isis and see what's going on. Chloe was supposed to meet me back here after her meeting, but knowing her she might have made a detour. I'm going to call Oliver and tell them they need to come back now."

Lois nodded and had the situation not been so dire, Clark would have been floored that Lois just ran out, on his orders. Instead, all Clark could do was stand in shock for a moment. Another scream pierced his ears, spurring him into action. With purpose, Clark ran into the break room. In effort to save time last night, all he'd done was pull an Oxford shirt and a pair of loose sweatpants on over his costume, which until now, Clark had forgotten all about. Not stopping to think, Clark yanked the clothes off until, once again, he was only clad in the royal blue, stretchy suit of the Tick. He looked to his left, spying Lois' red cloak hung on the coat umbrella beside the door. He grabbed it and swung it around his shoulders to hide the zipper at his back and secured the tie-strings in a tight knot. Finally, he stuffed his feet back into the tall, red boots he'd replaced last night with some sneakers in the Planet break room and opened a window, taking off into the chilly November air.

With as much speed as he could channel, Clark flew to Isis, stopping short as he saw the black smoke billowing out of the windows. The fire department was down below, along with a barrage of police, using street barricades to control the swelling crowd that always appears when tragedy strikes. He hovered inconspicuously along the side, x-raying the building for any signs of human life. In between the tenth and eleventh floor, Clark saw her. Alive and clinging to the elevator cable.

Inside the shaft, Chloe coughed. Smoke was rising up from the mangled car below, mixing with the dust and explosive powder, choking her and making it hard to scream. She was a couple of inches from the detached car roof and still sliding. Blood now coated her wrists and her expensive dress pants were to cut ribbons at the knees from their continued grip on the cable. Chloe felt the tips of her shoes touch the roof. Hesitantly, she lowered a foot and pressed down a little. The roof did not give, but it swayed and groaned softly. Putting more of her weight on her feet, Chloe slowly lowered herself, keeping as firm of a grip as she could on the cable.

"Hello?! Is anyone up there?" She heard a manly yell below her.

"Yes! I'm up here! Please hurry!"

"We're sending someone up now! Just hang tight!"

"_What else do you think I'll be doing?" _Chloe shrieked around a nervous giggle.

The elevator doors above her were wrenched open and Chloe squinted against the sunlight that filled the shaft. A head peeked inside.

"Clark!" Chloe cried happily when she saw it was him. Forgetting she was still in peril, Chloe let go of the cable, settling the rest of her weight onto the roof. With another groan, the roof snapped from the cable and plummeted toward the ground. Chloe only had enough time for one ear shattering scream as she was plucked off the roof and it hit the ground with a shudder. Chloe's eyes were screwed shut and for a moment, she thought she was dead as she floated up and out into a bright light. Slowly, Chloe opened her eyes to see a brilliant blue and a sheet of red. Angling her head more, Chloe gazed upward. Instead of laying eyes on her Maker, as some part of her expected, she was looking into the thunderous face of Clark Kent.

"You were _supposed_ to come back to the Planet," Clark growled. "You were _supposed_ to call if anything seemed out of whack. Did you do _any_ of of those things? _No!_ I _should_ have gone to the meeting with you. I _should_ have followed you around all _damn_ day. _This_ is why I came along, to keep you _safe!_ Who gives a _friggin_' _crap_ about what you want!"

Chloe nestled her head against his chest as she listened to Clark ground out his words. Only when he began squeezing her really tightly did she speak. "Clark, watch the ribs."

Looking down at her dirt streaked face and matted hair, Clark frowned at her. Keeping her locked against him with one arm, Clark brought a hand up and smoothed it down her cheek. Chloe closed her eyes and leaned into his palm.

"Why do you always have to be so damned independent?" Clark muttered.

Chloe opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Because I know you'll be there to catch me if I fall." For a moment there, Chloe really thought she was going to die, but as always, she was snatched back from the Grim Reaper's clutches in the nick of time. Chloe reached up and hugged him tightly. "Now, put me down."

Clark did as she asked. He wanted to kiss her again but knew he shouldn't, especially with the way she shot him down last night. He took her hand instead.

"Ow!" Chloe cried, yanking her hand away.

"Let me see that," Clark said, pulling Chloe more toward the shattered window he'd busted through. He tilted Chloe's hands up in the sunlight, hissing at the sight of her torn up and bleeding hands. "You need to have these looked at."

"I know. They were sending some firefighters up to get me, but they probably believe I'm a pancake right about now. Clark, what are you wearing?" Chloe asked, finally catching sight of the outfit Clark had so carelessly thrown on.

Clark looked down. "I just pulled you out of an elevator shaft and you're focusing on what I'm wearing?"

"You would be, too, if you were. . . normal," Chloe snorted, stepping back to get a better look at him.

"Why? Don't you like it? You know, flying is a lot easier when there is no fabric to get in the way."

"Please tell me you're not about to institute a nude flying policy."

"No! I mean, my shirts and stuff always made flying a little difficult. This didn't get in my way too much," Clark explained, starting to feel sheepish now that Chloe was out of danger.

"And Lois' cape?"

Clark grinned. "I wanted to cover the zipper in the back."

"Yeah, because the _zipper _is _definitely _what people are going to remember!" Chloe exclaimed. "Well, come on, fly boy. Take me to the nearest ambulance. The elevator is out of service and I don't feel like hoofin' it down eleven flights of stairs."

Clark made to sweep her up again, but Chloe suddenly pushed away. "Oh no, you can't take me. Not like that."

"Why not? I can get you in real fast, no one will see me," Clark replied, trying to pick her up again.

"No, Clark. You can't just shoot me like a speeding bullet at the nearest paramedic. It will create too much of a scene. And you look too much like Clark Kent to land in the crowd with me. This may be a job for the Red Blue Blur."

"Chloe, I told you. The Red Blue Blur has hung up his colors."

"That's why you chose this particular color scheme then, right?" Chloe pointed out. "Well, I don't know what to do, Clark. We can't have half of Metropolis knowing you're some kind of Superman!"

Chloe stood looking up at Clark. He was too distinctive, too good-looking. Maybe with a little work, they could slide by this time.

"I have an idea. . ." Chloe started.

* * *

"No," Lois repeated with force. "You don't understand! My cousin is the CEO of the Isis Foundation. There is a good chance she might be in there!"

"Ma'am, please step behind the yellow tape," Officer Ramirez told Lois for the fourth time. "We have had confirmation from the security guard inside that no one has gone up or down the elevator in at least a good hour and a half. Why don't you call you cousin?"

"I've already tried that. She's not picking up her phone! Would you please send someone to look again? Listen, bud," Lois growled, grabbing the cop by the collar when he made a move to step away from her. She placed her mouth right next to his ear. "Lex Luthor has escaped from prison and is gunning straight for the only family I have left. Now, either you send someone _to check again_ or the family jewels will take a hard hit in depreciation of value. Capiche?"

Officer Ramirez tightened his jaw as he removed Lois' hands from his clothes. "Porter!" He called to a fellow officer. "Have someone check the shaft one more time for any survivors."

"Right away, sir." The young cop ran back inside. A crew of firemen rushed in as Officer Porter returned back outside. "There's someone still up there. Looks like they were hanging from the cable," he told his superior quietly.

"But she's alive?" Lois asked frantically.

Porter looked at Lois and then back to Ramirez. Ramirez nodded. "Yes, she was still alive," Porter answered.

"Did you tell anyone?" Ramirez asked.

"Yes, sir. I told the paramedic who-" Porter's words were lost in a fantastic boom that came out of the building. All the cops ducked and Ramirez even grabbed Lois and pulled her down, shielding her with his body.

"Did that come from inside? _Did that come from inside?_" Lois screamed, clutching the Officer's starched shirt as more police ran inside, guns drawn.

"We need S.W.A.T. now!" Ramirez yelled to no one in particular.

"The roof of the elevator collapsed!" Porter cried into Ramirez's ear. "Whoever was in there-"

"Don't you say that! Don't you _dare _say that!" Lois yelled at the young cop. She broke away from Ramirez grip and made a run for the debris filled lobby of Isis. "Chloe! _Chloe!"_

"Grab her!" Another officer cried. Two uniforms headed off Lois, each taking an arm as she continued to shriek. They carried her to an ambulance that was set off to the side.

"You need to sedate her!" One cried at a female paramedic.

"What is that?" Someone yelled.

"Look! Up in the sky!" Another person cried.

People began looking, their heads turned upwards, hands shielding their eyes from the sun. Both cops that held Lois released her, staring up in awe. All three paramedics craned their necks up as well. Lois intrigued by their open-mouthed gazes looked up as well. A figure was streaking across the sky, a blur of red and blue. She watched it dive suddenly and the closer it got, she could make out it was a person, cradling something in it's arms.

"Is it a bird?" She heard someone ask.

"No, I don't think so. Is it a plane?" Someone responded.

It was a man. And he was holding Chloe. The tall, muscular figure landed gracefully a couple of hundred yards away from the cluster of crime officials and the nearest group of rubber-neckers. Lois watched as Chloe unwound her arms from the man's neck and stood steadily on her own two feet. All the anxiety in her body was draining, making Lois feel as if she were about to faint. That and seeing a man flying without the advantage of wings or pixie dust.

The man shot back up into air as soon as Chloe released him, causing the crowd that had fallen silent to gasp collectively. Breaking out of her shock first, Lois ran to Chloe, who was still looking upwards to the amazing stranger.

"Chloe? Are you okay, honey?" Lois asked, running her hands over her cousin's shoulders.

Chloe glanced over at Lois. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good. Um, what's that?" Lois questioned, gesturing up above them where the man still hovered.

Chloe looked back up and waved. The man, who had a shock of black hair slicked back away from his face, which Lois could barely make out, waved himself before flying up higher and disappearing into the clouds.

"That is the man who saved my life," Chloe answered with a proud smile.

* * *

After watching from a safe distance Lois escort Chloe to the ambulance, Clark flew quickly back to the Planet. He grabbed the discarded clothes where he'd left them on the floor of the break room and made for the restroom. Stripping out of the Tick suit and the red cape, he zipped into the others. Stuffing the costume behind a toilet until he could come back for the suit and the boots, he replaced Lois' cloak back on the coat umbrella before returning seconds later back to the bathroom.

He looked at himself in the mirror. With his heat vision, he'd activated the sprinkler system on the floor he and Chloe had been on. Wetting his hair, Chloe finger combed it until most of it lay slicked back on his skull. For that moment, Chloe hoped it would be enough to disguise him.

"When you get back to the Planet, dry it and make sure it's a mess when you come back here. Pull it down in your face if you have to," Chloe said while she combed the hair away from his temples. Looking the mirror, Clark didn't think he looked that different, which is why Chloe demanded he land as far away as he could and then make a speedy exit.

At super-speed, Clark raked his hands through his hair, effectively drying what hadn't been dried in the flight over. He did as he was told and made sure he looked as if he had a bad case of bed head. With a shrug, he zoomed off and appeared on the corner of Lady Scots, pushing his way to the head of the crowd until he could see Chloe and Lois standing outside of an ambulance.

"Clark!" Lois called, thankfully seeing him standing patiently behind the barricade. "Let him in!" She ordered a cop. Officer Ramirez nodded and moved the barricade slightly so Clark could squeeze in. He loped over to the ambulance.

"Chloe, are you okay?" He asked, trying to sound shocked enough, as if it were his first time to see her. She was sitting on a gurney just outside the vehicle, Lois leaning a hip right next to her, ignoring the appreciative glances coming her way from the other two male paramedics caused by her long, tan legs coming out of short, pleated black skirt.

"Yeah," Chloe replied with a grimace as a paramedic cleaned out her cuts.

"Did you get a hold of Oliver? Is he coming home?" Lois asked him, rubbing Chloe's shoulder.

"What? Oh, no. I'll try again, though. As soon as we get home," Clark answered. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I went to Collin Parker's office but no one was there. So I came to Isis to get his secretary's number to call her. There was never any meeting. Somehow Lex knew about my grant and lured me out of the house with it. How did they know I would even go to Isis after I found out?" Chloe wondered.

"It was good hunch," Lois responded.

"Anyway, I spoke to Doug on my way in, but I never saw-"

"Doug?" Lois and Clark exclaimed.

Chloe jumped and then yelped.

"Would you two mind? You're supposed to be keeping her calm while I do this," the female paramedic griped before resuming digging out more grit and grime from Chloe's wounds.

"Yes, Doug Weimar," Chloe said. "He works nights mostly and the odd weekend shift. He was working today when I came in. . . Clark, where are you going? Where is he going?"

Clark could hear Lois explaining as he walked off, scanning the mass of people and the inside for this Doug Weimar.

"Sir? Can I help you?" It was Officer Ramirez again. He'd seen Clark walking away from the two women and jogged to catch up with his long strides.

"Where is the security guard that was on duty today?" Clark questioned harshly.

"I'm not sure. Why don't you return to your friends and I'll see if I can find him for you. You're not allowed inside the building. S.W.A.T. is still sweeping for more explosives," Ramirez answered.

"That security guard knows who did this. He was also in on Lex Luthor's escape from prison, so I suggest you find him quickly," Clark said quietly. He knew charging into a crime scene would only call attention to him and he couldn't afford to tip Doug off that someone knew he was working with Lex and Mickler. Lex couldn't know someone was onto him.

"How do you and your two girlie friends over there all know about Lex Luthor? As far I knew, that was classified information the news papers weren't even allowing to be printed." Ramirez crossed his arms. He, himself, was already suspicious of that guard. Doug Weimar had told him no one had come in when the company's CEO was indeed found hanging from the cable inside the elevator shaft before her true blue science fiction rescue. But now he'd met these three people who threw the name Lex around like spare change and seemed to think the man was somehow connected to this bombing. "What all do you know?"

"I'm a reporter at the Daily Planet. It's my job to know what's going on. Just because we're not allowed to put anything in print doesn't mean we stop investigating," Clark replied. "All I know, that man is dangerous. He needs to be found. Find him and you might find Lex Luthor."

Clark went back to the ambulance as Ramirez gathered some of his men and sent them in search of Doug Weimar. After Chloe was treated and released, refusing a visit to Met Gen, Clark herded her and Lois along the sidewalk toward the Planet.

"Clark, come on! This is the opportunity of a lifetime! I'm giving you the chance to be in on a story that will make both our careers!" Lois exclaimed as she skipped along ahead of Clark and a lethargic Chloe. Not being able to hold her hand, Clark guided his hand to the small of her back.

"I thought the story about Lex was 'the story of a lifetime'," Clark pointed out with a roll of his eyes in Chloe's direction. Chloe smiled patiently before grimacing as she tried to scratch her shoulder. Clark lifted his hand and did it for her.

"Well, Lex can't _fly _can he? Or snatch my favorite cousin from the roof of an elevator in a third of a second!"

"Lois, all I want to do is get Chloe home, okay?" Clark wasn't so hot on the idea about doing a story about, well, himself. It felt almost like an out of body experience.

"It will take thirty minutes to an hour tops! I already have the headline," Lois crowed, her concern for her cousin dampened by the prospect of going down in journalism history. "We just have to come up with a catchy moniker!" Lois cried, panning her hands around an invisible headline in the air. "You don't mind, do you, 'cuz?" Lois asked, finally turning to Chloe.

"Not at all," Chloe relented at the sight of Lois' pleading face.

With a glad cry, Lois resumed skipping happily ahead of them.

"You just had to give in to her, didn't you?" Clark groaned from beside Chloe.

"Awww, she's not so bad, Clark," Chloe replied softly.

Clark saw the corners of Chloe's mouth turn down. "We can go home. I never said I would help. Lois can write this on her own."

"It's not that," Chloe told him, patting his hand that had remained on her shoulder awkwardly with her own gauze bundled one. "It's just that. . . I always thought when you _did _finally show yourself to the whole of Metropolis, it would be. . . _me_ who wrote about your coming out party."

"Chloe-"

"It's okay, Clark," Chloe stopped, turning to face him. "I'm fine, it's just sometimes I miss the old days. Running around, chasing the lead. Things were just much simpler then. I sat on the biggest story for _years _and it's going to be hard to watch Lois get the pay off."

Clark had an idea. "Hey, Lois!" Clark called up ahead, smiling down at Chloe. Chloe furrowed her brow and looked over her shoulder. Lois almost half a block ahead but she still heard him and turned.

"What?" She yelled back.

Chloe turned back to him. Clark spoke to Lois while looking down into Chloe's eyes. "Chloe's thought up a name. How about Superman?"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Perry sat behind his desk, glancing at Lois and Clark in turns before picking up the rough draft of their next headline, including the grainy picture they'd grabbed off some teenage punk's digital camera. It was the best they'd found and Clark was at ease with the shadow casted over his face from so high up. Perry cleared his throat. "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's. . . _Superman?_" He looked over the sheets of paper with a raised eyebrow.

"We thought it was kinda catchy," Clark replied, standing with his hands behind his back.

"You and Chloe thought it was catchy. Looks like me and the Chief still need to be convinced," Lois argued.

"Chloe? Your cousin, Chloe Sullivan? The woman who this so-called 'Superman' pulled out of that elevator shaft?" Perry asked Lois quickly.

"Well, yeah-" Lois began.

"Sold!" Perry cried, jumping to his feet. "How poetic? The first save by the flying man in tights calls him 'Superman'! I always had the feeling you and Sullivan would sell papers together, Kent! She's giving you the exclusive, isn't she?"

"Of course, she is-" Lois started.

"Have it on my desk by tonight, Kent! Tomorrow's headline," Perry crooned to a single draft sheet. "Sales will soar on Monday! I can almost taste the-"

"Excuse me?" Chloe's blonde head popped inside the office after she opened the door. She'd been able to snag a brush from Lois and at least put her face and hair back together. "I knocked a few times but-"

"Why, Ms. Sullivan!" Perry cried. "Come in! Come in!" He rushed over to the door, pulling it wider and Chloe along with it. Chloe fell in with wide eyes. She'd met him quite a number of years ago, but that didn't make this any less of a religious moment for her.

"Mr. White, I-"

"Call me Perry and I'll call you Chloe. No need for formalities between friends, right? I hear I have you to thank for my job here. Put a good word in with owner, did you? If I could I would shake your hand, but, uh. . ." Perry trailed off, glancing at Chloe's doctored up and bound hands. "It seems you've had a little mishap that we will read all about tomorrow morning."

Chloe could still only stare. "Glad I could help," she finally muttered when her mouth worked again.

"Well, gang," Perry said to the others in the room. "I'm off to have some dinner." He turned to Chloe with a sparkle in his eye. "Like to join me? Maybe I can talk you into re-joining the forces of the sniveling, sneaking reporters. Give up this crazy notion of helping world from behind a desk!"

"Isn't that what you do now?" Chloe asked back, an old gleam returning to her eyes. "I didn't see you out there today in the trenches."

"Ah, but that is how the General works. Commands his army from behind the battle lines. I'm too old now to be doing any of the grunt work," Perry laughed as he clapped Clark on the shoulder.

"Seriously, Chloe," Perry continued, turning his attention back to her. "I've looked over some of your old articles before you were summarily dismissed by Luthor Jr. You had some impressive by-lines in your time. If you ever feel like a career change, I could use someone like you."

"Thank you, Perry. That's quite a compliment. But I am happy at Isis," Chloe said gratefully with a smile.

"Fine," Perry sighed. "Can't win 'em all. How do we stand on that dinner invitation, though? Care to accompany an old man for a night out on the town? I don't even remember what it's like to wine and dine a beautiful woman."

"I would love to, but I need to get home. Maybe some other time," Chloe answered sincerely.

"I'll hold you to that, Chloe. Lane!" Perry barked, causing Lois to jump to attention. "Come on, all I've seen you eat all day is Snickers and Red Bull. Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes. Planet's buying tonight." And with a salute to Chloe, Perry shuffled from his office.

Chloe turned and looked at Clark and Lois. "Is he always so. . ."

"Yes," Lois growled, balling her fists at her side. She looked over at Clark. "When did this become _your_ exclusive instead _ours?_ I'm the one who let _you_ in on _my_ story!"

"Lois, I-"

"Nevermind!" Lois exclaimed as she stormed of out Perry's office. Chloe and Clark followed her, both of them having trouble keeping up with her long strides. "The only way I am ever going to have Perry's respect is if I land the biggest exclusive this paper has ever seen! And not from the _rescuee_." Lois stopped short and turned on them. "But from the _rescuer_." A steely glint stole over Lois' eyes as she stared off beyond Chloe and Clark who were looking at each other anxiously.

"Look out, Superman!" Lois cried, licking her lips and swinging her eyes back to Chloe and Clark. "Lois Lane is on your case!"

* * *

Clark and Chloe landed in the alley behind the Talon. Chloe dropped down to the asphalt. "Your Mom said they would meet us outside the Talon."

"Hey, I'm going to go on to the house. Mom's car is not big enough for all six of us and I want to check it out before you get there. We can't be too careful now," Clark said.

"Agreed. We'll see you out there," Chloe replied before Clark did his disappearing act. Walking quickly around the end of the strip, Chloe spotted Martha and AC, each with a bouncing Connor and Kaid by the hand. She headed over to them. Connor saw her first.

"Mom!" He yanked away from AC, almost causing AC to topple into the street. Chloe caught the little boy in her arms who had slowed down enough not to barrel her to the ground. "What happened to your hands?" Connor asked, catching sight of the white bandages as Chloe patted his head.

"Just had a little accident," Chloe answered.

"Oh, honey! Are you okay?" Martha followed, Kaid skipping along behind her by the hand and AC bringing up the rear, his face a little stunned. Martha wrapped one arm around Chloe's shoulder, hugging her to her side.

"I'm fine. Thanks to your son, as usual," Chloe assured the older woman.

"What were you thinking going off by yourself, Chloe? If one of us had done that, you would have been all over us like barnacles on the butt of a whale," AC pointed out, arms folded sternly.

Chloe rolled her eyes at him. Clark had spent most of his breath on the way over telling her the exact same thing. It was true. It had been so long since Chloe had to worry about alien serial killers and evil masterminds, she was out of practice. But she'd learned her lesson today. Her butt would be at the farm and when it wasn't, she'd have Clark cover it. That is the reason Oliver had left him behind. Him and AC. Chloe would have a fit if one her boys went around without backup and she knew now she was no different. "I know, AC. I know. Do whales even have butts?"

"Where's Clark?" Martha asked, looking around for her tall son.

"He dropped me off and went on to the house. He was going to check it out before we got there," Chloe answered. Connor and Kaid were busy examining her bandages, trying to see what was beneath them.

"That's probably a good idea," AC said. "All was clear when we left earlier today but there's been a lot of time since then and now."

"Well, let's get going," Martha dug her keys out and led them all to her rental car. The drive was quiet with the exception of Connor and Kaid trying to guess how Chloe hurt her hands. She was making a game out it, AC and Martha playing along, not wanting the real version to be told in case it scared the boys.

"Were they bitten off by an alligator?" Kaid asked with a smile.

"No, then she'd have no hands at all!" Connor pointed out.

"Also, alligators are only found in swamps and last I checked, there were no swamps in Kansas," AC informed them from the front seat. Connor and Kaid looked at him with boredom before returning to their game. Chloe snorted at AC's hurt expression as he turned back to the front. Martha turned the car up the long driveway and they all looked at the house in the gathering evening. Something was wrong. The door was hanging off it's hinges and inside. . .

Martha pulled to a stop, staring from behind the wheel.

"Stay here," AC ordered them.

"What's wrong? Where's Shelby?" Connor asked, pressing his nose against the glass of the car window. They all watched as AC jogged up onto the porch, stopping to glance inside before nodding at something and going in. Chloe unbuckled her seat belt when AC emerged, Clark right behind him. Telling the boys to stay put, Chloe got out with Martha.

"What happened?" Chloe asked, trying to see around AC and Clark the damage to the house.

"I think someone was looking for the bracelet," Clark said.

"How bad is it?" Martha questioned. She, too, was trying to see around the two mens' broad shoulders.

"It's trashed, Mrs. K," AC replied. Chloe finally stepped around them and walked into the house.

"Chloe-" Clark called from behind her but she ignored him. Chloe stopped just inside the door, her heart plummeting to her stomach. As far as she could see, everything that could break had been thrown against walls or smashed on the floor. The fridge was standing open, all contents ripped open or spilled out on the floor. Cabinets hung off hinges, drawers were pulled out and emptied, some lay in wooden planks on the floor. She moved woodenly to the next room and the next, each one just as decimated as the last. There were holes in the walls and floor, like someone had taken a sledgehammer and just started swinging. Chloe's shoes crunched upon glass from family photos or slipped upon stuffing pulled from furniture and pillows. Clark found her in the boys room, his old room. Even here, clothes were ripped or tossed everywhere, toys were broken and the bunk beds overturned.

"Don't worry," Clark told her back. "I can fix it. Everything. I can fix everything. Chloe?"

Chloe sighed before turning to face Clark. She looked at him with pained eyes. She lifted her arms in a helpless gesture. "Your house, Clark. Look what they did to your _home_." Her voice was thick with tears and Clark realized why she hadn't changed anything. Chloe hadn't changed anything because of him. She'd wanted to keep everything all the same when he came home. Little by little, with the slight changes she'd started to make, she'd been letting him go. Clark went to her and pulled her into his arms. Chloe buried her face against his shoulder, sniffling quietly.

"This is your home, too," Clark replied, rocking her. "I promise I can fix all of it."

"I know," Chloe said, pushing away and looking up at him. "I'm so sorry, Clark. None of this would be happening if I hadn't been stupid enough to wear that bracelet outside this house."

"Chloe, none of this is your fault," Clark said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Lex and his goons did this. He had someone plant that bomb in the elevator. He was the one who tried to have you killed. This is all Lex." Clark gestured to the mess around them.

"But I'm the one-"

"No," Clark told her adamantly. He took her hands in both of his, pulling her to him again and trapping their hands between them. "You are not going to blame yourself. This is just a _house_. These are just _things_. Houses can be rebuilt, things can be replaced. What is important is that everyone is safe, that no one was here when this happened, that you made it out of that elevator shaft alive. Nothing else matters but those things." Chloe leaned against him, taking the comfort he was offering. Clark could hear Martha and AC downstairs going through the mess, directing Connor and Kaid to watch their step or stay out on the porch. He couldn't resist any longer. Clark had to know. "I do have a question, though," Clark whispered to her hair.

"What?" Chloe replied with her forehead still on his chest. Clark smoothed his hands up and down her silk encased arms. She was still dressed in her dirty and ripped clothing.

"Why were you wearing the bracelet?"

Chloe raised her head, leaning back to meet his eyes. "I wanted to feel close to you," she answered truthfully.

Clark opened his mouth to ask why only to bite his tongue when AC yelled up to them.

"Hey! Oliver's on the phone! He's screaming to talk to one of you!"

"You've been through enough today," Clark said to Chloe, taking a few steps out of the room. "I deal with the Mean Green."

Chloe watched him walk away before turning back to the interior of the room. Back in high school, the Torch had been her safe haven. She remembered what is was like when Lionel, before he'd been sent to prison and came out a changed man, had her little newspaper trashed when she was a sophomore. She'd felt like a part of her had been stomped on. This was the same, but different. She'd raised her sons here. She'd made her life within these walls. How could a man she once trusted and called a friend do this? All for a bracelet! A stupid piece of rock! At least there was some part of Lionel Luthor that was still able to be reached and changed by his stint in the slammer. Lex was already so far gone by the time he reached the cell block, Chloe knew he could never be redeemed.

"Mom! We can't find Shelby!" Kaid called frantically from the foot of the stairs.

Chloe took one more steadying breath and wiped away her tears. "Coming, sweetie!" She walked out of the room and met him at the bottom of the stairs. "We'll find him. AC, would you go look for Shelby? He may have run off when all this started."

"Sure thing, boss," AC answered as he left, calling for Shelby when he hit the ground.

"Can't find Shelby?" Clark asked, flipping AC's phone shut and slipping it into the pocket of his sweat pants.

"Yeah. I just sent AC to look for him. What did Oliver want?"

"When he couldn't get a hold you, he started to panic. He finally called Lois who filled him in," Clark explained.

"The General a little upset by the dissension in his ranks?"

"That would be an understatement. Anyway, they found the place Lex was working. It was deserted."

"It was jail full of political prisoners. They just don't disappear, Clark," Chloe replied.

"Oliver said the place is completely empty. Everything they've run into over there leads to nothing but a dead end. They also checked where Lex's old lab used to be. Nothing is there, either."

"Are they coming home?"

"They were fixing to take off. I'm going to go help AC look for Shelby. He used to like to wander over to the Hubbards'."

"How do you know?" Kaid piped up incredulously. Clark and Chloe looked at him sharply. They'd forgotten he was there, his fingers clinging to Chloe's belt loop.

"Shelby lived here with Clark before he lived here with us," Chloe explained simply.

"You used to live here?" Kaid asked.

"Yeah, I grew up here. You and your brother's room used to be mine," Clark answered, hunkering down to Kaid's level. Kaid still watched Clark carefully and now with everything that might be happening with him and Chloe, Clark wanted to bond with Kaid as he had with Connor. It would make it all the more easier.

"I thought Aunt Martha used to live here," Kaid directed at Chloe as he looked up at her.

"She did. Clark is her son. He used to live here with her and his dad," Chloe continued to explain, combing her fingers through his shaggy blonde hair.

"Your dad is the tall man in the picture Mom has! She said he was a really nice man and that we act like him sometimes!" Kaid said excitedly, turning his green eyes back to Clark. "Mom, show him!"

Clark looked up at Chloe with a grin. "Show me what?" Clark asked, standing to his feet.

"You remember the picture your Mom took of me and you before graduation and your Dad stepped in real quick and stole my cap? It used to be framed somewhere, but now with all this mess, I'm sure it's been shredded by now," Chloe answered smoothly. "Hey, why don't you go help your brother?" She suggested. Connor was over in a corner with Martha, holding open a garbage bag as Martha threw glass and other broken material away.

"That's where we've seen him!" Kaid still prattled on as he walked away. "Connor! Remember? We were wondering where we'd seen him before! He's in that picture that Mom kept in her purse!" Martha heard, as did Clark, and both turned inquisitive eyes on Chloe.

Chloe shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I'm going to go tell AC where he needs to look for Shelby," Chloe muttered and walked quickly out of the open kitchen door. Clark made to follow her, but was surprised when Martha presented herself in his path.

"Clark, she had a hard night and an equally hard day. Why don't you talk to her later, okay?" She suggested.

"But Mom, there is something-"

"Clark," Martha said sternly. "I don't think Chloe is up to be badgered right now. Why don't you help us clean up some of this mess while her and AC find Shelby?"

Clark pressed his lips into a line. He knew when Chloe was hiding something and now he was sure there was something she wasn't telling him, but Clark heeded his mother. "Oliver wants everyone moved to the loft in Metropolis. He's sending some of his security to sweep the building before we get there. So, I was thinking when those two get back, you can take everyone into the city and set up at the loft while I stay here and clean up. Mom, are you sure you want to stay here? It seems we just keep getting deeper and deeper into this," Clark said as he found the broom and began trying to sweep up some of the broken wood into a pile.

"Chloe needs someone to help with-"Martha broke off but slid her eyes over to Connor and Kaid who were staying clear of the glass but picking up other shards of things. "I think I'm needed here, instead."

"After all this, I have a feeling Oliver won't be taking his eyes off those boys when they-"

"We found him!" AC exclaimed as he preceded Chloe and Shelby, the canine sticking close to her heels. "He was huddled up in the storm cellar."

"How did he get in there?" Martha wondered.

"Someone may have put him there. He makes quite a bit of noise when someone he doesn't know steps foot on the farm," Chloe answered.

"Hey boy! Where did you go?" Connor and Kaid dropped what they were doing and squatted down, petting and hugging the dog who sat just outside the door.

Clark watched Chloe go into the family room and begin working in there. Ignoring his mother's foreboding stare, Clark followed her.

"I guess we'll have to get a hotel tonight," Chloe said absently when she felt Clark's presence beside her. She bent down and dug her bandaged hands into the pretty sheer drapes that had hung from the gable window in that room for as long as she could remember. Martha had told her Clark's grandmother had sewn them. Now they lay in ghostly ruins, fluttering from her hands as she stood.

"Oliver wants you to go to the loft for tonight. Mom and AC are coming with you," Clark told her.

"What about you? Where will you be?" Chloe asked, trying to play down the panic in her voice. She wanted Clark with them at all times.

"I'm going to stay here and try to put this house back together," he answered.

"Please don't, Clark. I want you to come into the city with us. Plus, when Oliver and the team get back, I'm sure he'll want to have a congressional summit," Chloe replied.

"I'll do whatever you want me to do, Chloe," Clark said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Chloe turned to him. "I want you to stay with me. I don't want you to leave me. Don't leave me ever again, Clark, not again." Chloe's face crumpled in tears and Clark pulled her quickly to him, holding her close. He saw Connor and Kaid standing quietly inside the doorway, staring fearfully as their mother sobbed quietly into Clark's shirtfront. Martha appeared and whispered, pulling Connor and Kaid away from the scene. Clark pressed a kiss to Chloe's hair.

"I promise you I will never leave you again," Clark crooned. He was determined to keep this one.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chloe offered to drive but Martha waved her away with the shape Chloe's hands were in. So Chloe sat in the seat next to Martha with AC, Connor, Kaid and Shelby in the back of the rental car. AC sat in the middle with Connor and Kaid on each side. Shelby was stretched out across their laps as Connor petted the dog's ears and Kaid played with his bushy tail.

"You sure Oliver's going to be okay with Lassie invading his precious loft?" AC asked with slight distaste. He'd never really liked animals of the mammal variety. With a few exceptions, of course.

"Ollie will be fine with it," Chloe said reassuringly when she saw Connor and Kaid turn big eyes on her. She shot AC a quelling look in the rearview mirror and he smiled an apology.

"Of course he will be!" AC exclaimed, making a special effort to pat Shelby's stomach quickly.

"Now, tomorrow there will be a picture in the paper to go along with this story of Superman?" Martha asked, returning to her and Chloe's earlier conversation, in a hushed voice.

"Yes, but I checked it before Clark pulled it off the kid's camera. You can't see his face. The sun is slightly behind him casting a shadow, so all you really see is a head and then his body floating. When we get to the loft I'm going to help Clark write it up, along with my exclusive. Perry wants it by midnight for tomorrow's morning edition and since Lois has moved on to fry bigger fish, it seems Clark is going to need all the help he can get ," Chloe answered, matching Martha's tone.

"What could be bigger than this? I know she wants to write about Lex's escape but you said Oliver has put that on hold for now."

"Perry kind of handed the reins over to Clark on this one. He seems to have developed a certain affinity to Clark," Chloe said.

"Oh, no. Is he favoring Clark over Lois? Poor thing, she's given so much of her life to that paper. What story is she chasing now?" Martha asked.

"Well," Chloe began, turning her head to look at Martha. "The man _behind _the cape."

Martha gripped the wheel a little tighter.

"It was really only a matter of time," Chloe continued. "We all kind of slipped in front of her and she knows Clark and Oliver work together in the Justice League. She doesn't know what he can do, but she knows he does something."

"Do you think she'll be able to trace it to Clark?"

"Not right now. But, Martha, Lois has known Oliver is the Green Arrow for years and has never breathed a word of it to anyone," Chloe said in her cousin's defense. "Maybe having an inside source on the Daily Planet staff might not be so bad. I may have called Clark Superman, but we both know being a convincing liar is not one of his many abilities."

"I still don't know. Chloe, you know how much I adore Lois but-"

"I know, Martha. For a long time I played hide-and-go-seek with Lois about the strange happenings surrounding Clark. She's too much like me," Chloe laughed. "I now know what you and Jonathon must have gone through all the times I got too close."

"And in the end you turned out to be worth it," Martha responded with a loving smile.

"Thanks, Martha."

"Is this where I turn?" Martha asked as they approached a traffic light.

"Yes. Turn left and then go about five blocks and it will be on the right. Oliver has parking underground so we'll drive right in," Chloe instructed.

"Am I going to need to make a store run?" AC asked.

"I don't think so. I stocked the place last week and with Bart not in the country, I'll bet food supplies haven't been depleted yet," Chloe answered as Martha turned on her blinker and turned. Chloe fed her the entrance code and the metal grate rose, allowing the car to drive in. As Martha parked, Chloe spied Oliver's two most trusted security guards, Krenshaw and Allistor stepping out from the shadows. "There's our escort."

"Sorry to cut into your vacation time," Chloe called as she and everyone else tumbled out of the car.

"Not at all, Ms. Sullivan," Krenshaw, the more talkative one of the two, replied. They stepped behind the trunk to where Martha was currently trying to unpack. "Senator Kent? We'll get those."

"Oh," Martha responded. "Thank you." Her clothes were the only ones not ripped to pieces. She joined Chloe, AC and the boys with Shelby who were headed over to the elevator.

"Krenshaw? There will be another man joining us. His name is Clark Kent. He'll driving my SUV," Chloe told the two men who were bringing over the few bags that Martha and Chloe were able to salvage from the ransacked house.

"I'll wait down here for him," Allistor offered. Krenshaw stepped onto the elevator with the bags and the small group headed up.

AC and Martha smiled encouragingly at Chloe as the car traveled up. She tried to return the smiles, but could only grimace. Chloe would be taking the stairs for the rest of her foreseeable future. The car halted and Chloe reached out and typed in the disarming code and the doors slid open, revealing Oliver's clocktower loft. The boys and Shelby shot out, making a beeline for the impressive balcony.

"Leave Shelby in here!" Chloe yelled before the boys were almost out the door. They dropped the leash and Chloe patted her knee for the dog to come to her. "Please be careful!"

"I'll go supervise, Mama," AC assured Chloe, brushing her shoulder as he passed her, following Connor and Kaid out onto the balcony.

"Must be nice to have all these baby-sitters," Martha commented, gazing around her at the understated opulence of Oliver's bachelor pad.

"Just another perk of running with the hero crowd," Chloe replied. She collapsed in an overstuffed LA-Z-BOY chair the color of emeralds. Shelby sat obediently at her hand while Chloe rubbed his ears. "I promise you, Martha, I do take care of my own children most of the time."

Martha watched the doors close, Krenshaw walking with her bags down a long, open hallway. "Where is he going?"

"Guest room," Chloe answered.

Martha nodded before taking a seat herself on a sofa closest to Chloe. Both women watched AC, Connor and Kaid. Martha felt Chloe stiffen when Kaid tried to pull himself up on the banister to look down the many stories to the street below. AC kept a hand clamped on the boy's belt, pointing a finger at Connor to not try his brother's stunt.

"It never gets easier," Martha told her.

Chloe turned to her. "What doesn't?"

"A part of you knows they can't be hurt physically, but that other part is always worried that something will be able to penetrate them. You're always afraid that with being invulnerable on the outside, they'll be easier to hurt on the inside. You will worry always, even when they are adults," Martha said.

"How did you do it? Raise Clark to be the man he is?" Chloe asked, leaning eagerly toward Martha.

"With a lot of trust and a lot of faith. Clark will help you. He's so much like Jonathon. You haven't forgotten what we talked about, have you?" Martha replied gently.

"No," Chloe sighed. "I plan on telling him in the next couple of days. I don't want anything else to happen without them knowing everything. I'm going to tell them soon."

"Good," Martha said, reaching over and grasping Chloe's hand delicately. "It will be nice to have a family Thanksgiving after all these years."

Chloe smiled. "I never meant to cut you out of their lives. I've missed the Kent Thanksgivings and Christmas' all these years. I'm sorry that I was the reason you missed having a family."

"Chloe, I understand why you felt you had to hide it. I, more than anyone, understand the great responsibility. Just don't do it ever again," Martha ordered gravely.

"Yes ma'am." Chloe hugged Martha tightly.

"Sorry for the interruption," Krenshaw intoned, clearing his throat. "Mr. Kent is on his way up."

"Thanks, Krenshaw," Chloe said, smiling at the older gentleman as he stepped back into the shadows, trained at being unobtrusive. The elevator doors soon opened once more, revealing Clark with a bag over his shoulder, who stepped into the room. He saw his mother and Chloe sitting close to each other in the living area and moved to join them. Shelby saw him and met him with a wagging tail.

"You keepin' 'em company, boy?" He asked as he sat next to his mother, burying his hand in the soft fur covering Shelby's backside. The dog whined appreciatively. "Where do you want me to put your keys, Chloe?"

"Just hang onto them. I doubt I'll be driving myself anytime soon," Chloe answered, trying to wiggle her fingers experimentally.

"How long do your hands have to be wrapped that way?" Martha questioned. "It doesn't look very comfortable."

"The paramedic said for a day or two," Clark answered. "The bandages are just to keep Chloe from snagging the end of her stitching on something until they fully dissolve. And to keep her from scratching them," Clark finished sternly.

Chloe glared at him as she continued to rub her hands on her thighs. "They itch."

"Then let's get your mind off your hands," Clark suggested. He picked up the bag beside his feet and moved over to the bar that separated the kitchen from the living room, pulling out two bar stools. He set the bag on the counter and unzipped it. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to borrow your laptop." Clark removed Chloe's computer, the one she'd been working on at the house. Chloe gave a happy gasp.

"I had totally forgotten that! Was it still in the house, all in one piece?" She asked, joining Clark at the bar as he powered it up and plugged in the charger.

"No. You took it with you this afternoon, so it was in the back of your car."

"Oh, thank goodness! I was working on a new program for Watchtower until I could get it transferred over to my database there. Anyway, sure, knock yourself out."

"You kids hungry?" Martha moved into the kitchen with them, running her hands along Clark and Chloe's shoulder blades.

"Actually, yeah, I am," Clark answered.

"Good. I'll just rummage around and see what Mr. Queen has on the menu for tonight."

"The pantry is around the corner," Chloe told Martha. "Oliver keeps the actual food in there instead of the junk he hides for Bart in the cupboards."

Martha busied herself in the kitchen while Clark familiarized himself with Chloe's computer. He finally got a word document pulled up and turned to see where Chloe had wandered off to. He spotted her outside with Connor and Kaid. AC was now inside, sitting against the couch, watching the Nature Channel which was currently showing a show on the top ten most beautiful reefs in the world.

Clark jumped off the stool and made his way over to the sliding glass doors where he could see Chloe taking in the view with Connor and Kaid. He opened the door and stuck his head out. Chloe turned her head, resting her chin on her shoulder as she looked at him.

"I'm ready when you are," Clark told her.

"Great," Chloe said on an exhale. "Hey, guys. Let's go on inside."

Connor and Kaid groaned but reluctantly headed inside when Chloe narrowed her eyes at them. Clark grinned. He never pictured Chloe being a mother. Whenever he thought of Chloe in the future, Clark always saw her at the Planet in the glamorous job of a serious reporter with this goofy sidekick shadowing her in glasses, just barely keeping up with her as she buzzed around the newsroom. Now, dressed in a borrowed pair of Martha's loose jeans and penny loafers, a Smallville High Girls' Athletics t-shirt on top, she was herding two pre-teen boys into a spare bedroom, telling them they could play any video game they wanted until dinner time. It was a far cry from the reel playing in his mind, but the picture was still beautiful.

Chloe emerged from the bedroom to find Clark still standing by the balcony door, gazing at her, a far off look in his eyes.

_"I love you, too." _Chloe jumped. Clark's lips hadn't moved but she heard his voice say it, clear as day.

"You okay?" He was before her, a big hand on her shoulder.

Chloe looked up at him. "Yeah," she said with crinkled brows. "I'm fine. Just after shocks, I guess." Her brow smoothed and she allowed a small smile to bloom. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Clark and Chloe finished his article a couple of minutes before eleven-thirty. After she'd proof-read the copy about five times, upon Clark's request, Clark finally emailed it to Perry. Fifteen minutes later he received confirmation that Perry had read it and loved it, especially the first-hand account from Chloe about her amazing rescue by Superman.

After an hour of Clark starting, deleting and re-writing Chloe closed the lid on his fingers. "Clark, this is easy. You can do this. Just separate yourself from Superman. Pretend you were in the crowd and just think what it was like for them to see what you can do," Chloe encouraged.

"I can't, Chloe. It feels weird. I'm Superman. Superman is Clark Kent. I can't imagine what it would be like to watch something like that. To wonder what it feels like because I _know,"_ Clark explained haltingly.

"Then let's get my part out of the way. You'll get my interview and then we'll work on your part."  
"Hey, I have an idea. I'm sure Perry would eat it up. Why don't you write your own exclusive? I can open it and close it, but all the stuff in the middle can be yours. You can have your big story."

Chloe argued with Clark for almost half an hour until finally she gave in. Her reporter days were far behind her, but a smile crossed her face as she sat in front of her computer screen now. Her name would be in print again in the Daily Planet and not as a blurb, but as writer. Sitting side by side after dinner with Clark at the bar, hashing out formats and phrasing and word choice awakened something inside Chloe she thought long dormant. Her work at Isis was enjoyable and her role as Watchtower was fulfilling, but she guessed a part of her would always yearn for her childhood dream. She remembered her twenty-second birthday when she'd been transformed into her five-foot-eight cousin. Chloe knew she was meant to be where she was, to be who she was when she'd made Clark see the hero he was meant to be on that street corner that night. That was her purpose in life, but she would be a liar if she didn't admit she would still love to be knee deep in a scandal for the Planet instead of knee deep in dirty laundry or paperwork some days.

The loft was dark, the only light coming the glow of the city street lights and the screen of Chloe's computer. It was half past two in the morning. Oliver should be home by now. She picked up the cell phone AC had lent her and dialed his number again. It went straight to voicemail. She dialed the other numbers, but Bart, Victor, and Dinah all went to voicemail as well. Laying the phone down, she decided to give them another half hour and then she was waking Clark and having him start the one man search party. Until then, she would go back to navigating the web for all information she could lay her hands on about Doug Weimar. How was he connected to Lex and Mickler being just a lowly security guard? And was Reynold's an actual security firm or a front for something more sinister?

The space was quiet and Chloe yelped when it was broken by Clark's husky voice.

"Can't sleep?"

Chloe found his hulking form standing at the end of the bar before he moved and opened the fridge, pulling out a bottle of Dasani water and unscrewing the cap. He was dressed in blue boxers and a red shirt with the Dr. Pepper logo on it.

"You need to get some new colors when off duty, Clark," Chloe muttered, returning to her search.

"I'll take that as a 'Yeah, Clark, I can't sleep and thanks for the concern'," Clark growled as he leaned across the bar from her, sipping the water slowly.

Chloe raised her eyes. She'd tried to sleep. But all she saw when she closed her eyes was either the plummeting elevator down the shaft or. . . Her and Clark. After an hour of alternating scenes, she gave up and decided to use the hours of insomnia productively. The only problem was she really wanted to sleep. Leaning back and covering her eyes with her bandaged hands, Chloe groaned. "I'm sorry, Clark. I'm really tired but every time I close my eyes I see. . ." _Us._

Clark closed the bottle and set it on the bar. Rounding the white marble, he came and stood behind Chloe, taking her narrow shoulders in his hands and kneading them gently. He wasn't a certified masseuse but even he knew the muscles he was working on were way too tight. Oddly, he felt Chloe stiffen under his hands.

"Just relax," Clark whispered in the darkness, applying gentle pressure with his thumbs.

Exhaling harshly, Chloe hung her head down limply, exposing the back of her neck. Clark moved his hands; the heel of his left running along the bone in her slender neck while his right made circles up and down her spine. It was then Clark realized she was dressed in a green nightgown, the silky material smooth and cool under his hands. It was probably something she kept here when she and the boys stayed over or the only thing she'd found at the house that hadn't been in shreds. In this moment, with the dark silence of the loft wrapping around them, Clark had the primal urge to throw her over his shoulder and high-tail it to his guest room. For the past few weeks, he'd been able to keep his desire for her at bay by the thought of Oliver and the boys and all the other complications swimming in the sea between them. But as his hand continued downward, almost on it's own accord to settle on her hip, Clark wondered if it could all fade away for a moment. Just as it had before, eight years ago.

Chloe felt the sharp shift in the atmosphere. Clark's hands no longer kneaded and circled innocently, but with purpose. Closing her eyes, Chloe strengthened her resolve. She had to stop him. After all that happened within this short period of time, there was no way she would be able to push him away. And saying 'no' to Clark Kent was pretty much an impossibility with her. When his hand settled possessively on her hip, Chloe let out a loud and obnoxious fake snore. Clark's hands stilled and Chloe knew he was looking at her with the perplexed look he got when trying to decide if she was joking or being serious. Chloe repeated her snore and Clark lifted his hands away from her. With a forced giggle, Chloe spun around on the stool to face him.

"Thanks, Clark. I feel much better now."

Clark shrugged his shoulders, choosing to see Chloe's not so subtle brush off as a good thing. They were both old enough now to know sex wouldn't substitute the things that needed to be said to each other.

"Then I'll take the snore as a compliment. Listen," Clark began, stepping forward again. He wrapped his hands around her elbows, squeezing them gently. It seemed he wasn't going to be able to keep his hands to himself right now, Clark laughed in his head. Thankfully, Chloe was quite happy to let him caress her elbows. He looked down at her, smiling as her knees brushed his thighs. "How about in the next couple of days, we take a day off? Just me, you and the boys? We'll take them to a movie or an amusement park and have a picnic. I'd like to get to know them a little better," Clark suggested. He wanted to start to build his life again. Superman was now all tied up in a pretty bow. He had a good, steady job it seemed at the Planet and now it was time to work on the personal column. And that included Chloe, no matter what had happened while he'd been gone.

"I would like that," Chloe replied softly. She wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him excitedly but she held herself back. This was the opportunity she'd been looking for. Timidly, she brought her hands up and plucked at the soft cotton of his t-shirt, feeling his solid abs underneath the fabric. "And maybe after that, you and I could could go to dinner. Just the-" Chloe stopped to swallow, feeling oddly nervous with him. "Just the two of us."

"That'd be nice," Clark said, sliding his hands up to her chin. Chloe was staring so studiously at his stomach he wondered if she had x-ray vision as well. He lifted her face upward with the tip of his index finger under her jaw. Chloe's eyes were still shunted, but they fluttered upward, bathing Clark in their warm, hazel glow as the two of them were able to see each other in the pale moonlight from glass balcony doors.

* * *

Clark and Chloe jumped as the elevator rumbled to a stop. Clark quickly pulled Chloe off the stool and behind him, keeping her locked to his backside with an arm around her waist. Chloe flattened herself against Clark, tucking herself as close to him as she could. She did, however, peek around his arm. The elevator door opened and a expletive rang in the quiet.

"Shhhh!" A voice whispered audibly.

"You dropped it on my damn toe! These puppies are valuable, Dell boy," another voice whispered hotly.

Both Clark and Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as they recognized the bickering voices of Bart and Victor.

"You want to scare them all awake? Pipe down!"

"Too late," Clark spoke out brusquely.

Someone jumped and a large _thunk! _was heard as whoever it was dropped a heavy case.

"And that was my other toe!" Bart cried. A light was finally snapped on, causing all four adults to squint at each other in the bright fluorescent lighting. Bart was hopping around on one foot while Victor glowered and then lifted a questioning eyebrow at finding Clark and Chloe in the dark of the loft, clad only in t-shirt, boxers and a long, clingy though, negligee.

"We interrupting something?" Victor asked curiously as he set the other cases he was carrying down, moving the smaller cases Bart had dropped to dance on one foot over to the side with the others.

"Are Oliver and Dinah with you?" Chloe returned, ignoring Victor's nonverbals as she swept from behind Clark, grabbing the matching robe she'd thrown over one of the stools and fastening it tightly around her waist.

"Oh, I hope we interrupted something," Bart teased with a pained expression as he tested walking.

"Yeah, they're downstairs. Dude, stop playing Hippity Hop and send the elevator down!" Victor griped as he began organizing the portable War Room into sections.

"You do it. I'm injured," Bart whined, limping over to Chloe and laying his head on her shoulder. Chloe, who always had a soft spot for him, reached up and patted the side of his face.

Clark sighed with exasperation as he took long strides toward the elevator. "No wonder Oliver's already going gray. Surrounded by all of you it's a miracle he's not bald yet," Clark snapped as he reached in and hit the down button before sliding the door shut.

"Ah, makes him look distinguished. Ladies really dig it," Bart replied, ignoring Clark's snotty tone. "Chloe, what did you do to your hands? Falling down on the job, Boy Scout."

"I went off by myself," Chloe jumped in, noticing the way Clark's tense form turned threateningly toward Bart. Bart, who also seemed to notice his large friend's dismay, quickly ducked behind Chloe. "Don't make this worse, Bart. You know how he always blames himself," Chloe hissed over her shoulder.

"What's with all the racket?" A yawning AC appeared from one of the multiple guest rooms down the hall.

"Leagues back," Bart answered, braving the open air to go and browse in the cabinets. "Yes!" He pulled out an unopened box of Keebler Pecan Sandies, his favorite, and shot Chloe a winning smile. "Thanks, Mom." Bart zipped over to Chloe and pecked her cheek before making himself comfy at the bar with the jug of milk.

"I'm going to go change," Chloe told the room at large, her eyes, of course, connecting with Clark's before she left.

"Clark, really, did we interrupt something?" Victor asked quietly while AC and Bart played tug-a-war with one of the medium sized cookies.

"Not really," Clark answered with an easy grin. "Nothing that can't wait until I talk to Oliver."

"Well, look at you. Getting back up on the horse that bucked you off. Very brave, Kent."

"I wouldn't say she bucked me off-"

"There's my handsome merman." The group watched as Dinah walked swiftly across to AC, grabbing his face and pulling him down for a kiss. Instead of avoiding eye contact with each other, all the guys, Oliver included, echoed catcalls and wolf whistles to each other. "I swear, it's like one extreme or the other with you guys," Dinah griped as she settled herself within the circle of AC's arms.

"Did you expect to get any better than when Oliver and Chloe started dating?" Bart asked around a mouthful of cookie.

"Bart, really," Oliver snapped, looking quickly at Clark.

"It's okay, Oliver," Clark told him as Oliver came over to stand beside him.

"Where is Chloe?" Oliver asked.

"She went to change," Clark answered.

"How is she?"

"She seems to be holding up pretty well. I think the house hit her harder than the elevator ride did, though."

"About that," Oliver started.

"I know what you're going to say Oliver. It was my fault. I should have never left her, no matter what she said. I won't again. I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Clark?" Oliver asked. "I know how persuasive and bossy she can be. No man is safe from the womanly wiles of Chloe Sullivan and Lois Lane. Those two could give Peitho and Aphrodite a lesson in the power of persuasion."

Clark snorted. "You think they took a class we didn't know about in high school?"

"I think the mysteries of Lois and Chloe will take a lifetime to discover. One I am fully committed to handing over."

"About you and Chloe-"

"We broke up, Clark. Don't worry," Oliver grinned as he foresaw Clark's expression of guilt. "It had been coming for a long time. We're both meant for other people."

"But what about Connor and Kaid?"

Oliver hardened his mouth. The line, "All in good time, my pretty, all in good time," rasped out menacingly by the green, wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz played in his mind. He always hated that movie. Shaking his head, he glanced over at Clark as Chloe entered the room. Clamping a hand on Clark's shoulder, Oliver met his friend's concerned eyes. "All in good time, my friend. All in good time."

Oliver stepped away, positioning himself in the middle of his group. "Listen up, guys. I know we're all tired so why don't we push this until tomorrow afternoon? I'll fill Clark and Chloe in on what we _didn't_ find in Russia and we'll meet at Watchtower in the evening to discuss more possibilities where Lex may be hiding out and masterminding. We've got the upper hand here. He can't do anything until his has this bracelet. So, go home, get some rest and I'll see you all tomorrow."

"We'll be seeing ya," Dinah waved at Chloe before hauling AC out the door, a stupid grin lighting his face.

"Hope you don't mind company, Clark," Bart said, sidling up to him, arms crossed.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, Victor will be taking AC's vacant guest room which means you and me, pal, will be snuggling like two bugs in a rug."

"I don't think so. You can take the couch. Or you can snuggle with Victor," Clark replied.

"You kidding me? When he has a bad dream, instead of wetting the bed, he electrocutes it," Bart dead-panned.

"Shut up!" Victor exclaimed, although Clark saw a ghost of a smirk.

"Bart, you can have Oliver's room if you don't mind sleeping with the boys. And Shelby," Chloe offered.

"Yeah, the last time I did that, I nearly got my leg broken when Connor kicked me! Boy should play soccer, but then his team would have an unfair advantage, I guess. Come on, Vic, looks like we're meant to be." Bart clapped Victor on the shoulder as the two also said their good-nights and disappeared down the hallway.

The room was quiet, leaving just Oliver, Chloe and Clark. Clark realized Oliver didn't have a bed. And he doubted either one of them would be sharing a room with Chloe tonight. "If you'll get me some blankets, I'll make myself comfy here on the couch."

"Oh, I don't think Oliver is staying here tonight, Clark. Are you, Oliver?" Chloe teased. Oliver allowed a blush to creep over his neck before turning to Chloe with a cheeky smile. "Did you call her to let her know you're safely home?"

"No," Oliver answered softly. "I wanted to surprise her."

"Not a good idea. Go call her. Now," Chloe ordered.

Oliver, with a schoolboy's anxiety, took the phone from his back pocket and stepped out on the balcony to make his call.

"Who is he calling?" Clark asked, joining Chloe in watching Oliver out on the balcony.

"Lois. She wanted to see him the moment he got home," Chloe answered, meeting Clark's eyes.

Clark thought that was who he was calling for who else besides Lois would Oliver call at three o'clock in the morning. The two of them continued to watch Oliver speak into his phone. Chloe sighed and walked back to her laptop, pulling up her search engine again. She wished things could that simple for her and Clark. When Oliver walked back in, he was wearing a goofy grin and tossing his phone up in the air.

"I take it went well?" Chloe asked, not taking her eyes from the screen.

"Yeah. Look, nothing really happened in Russia. Just lots of snow and cold and-"

"Get outta here," Chloe cut him off.

"What?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you have somewhere else more important to be than debriefing me and Clark right now," Chloe responded. "You can fill us in tomorrow. And, hopefully, by then, I'll also have some leads on why Doug would want to play the Grim Reaper for Lex and Mickler. I think he might have been the one who murdered Jillian."

"You think Doug does the dirty work for the two of them?" Clark asked.

"Yeah. I just need some more time to do a more in-depth background check. I've put in a request with Reynold's for his records and am getting in touch with John Jones over at Metropolis PD to run a check on him as well," Chloe informed both men as her fingers flew over the keyboard.

Oliver glanced over at Clark before looking back to Chloe. He cleared his throat. He felt funny, leaving Chloe to go and be with Lois, almost as if he were cheating, though he knew he wasn't. Oliver opened his mouth.

"Go," Chloe ordered, peering at him over her screen. "Tell Lois I say hi."

Oliver smiled before reaching forward and smacking a kiss on her forehead. "You're the best," Oliver told her. "I'll see you later."

Clark and Chloe were alone again.

"Don't you have work in the morning?" Chloe asked a little while later, making conversation as Clark looked over her shoulder.

"Are you getting annoyed with me reading over your shoulder?"

"No," Chloe answered with a shrug. She shut down the computer and spun around to face him. "But I am getting tired, so I'm going to bed. You're probably going to have a busy day tomorrow, what with your first front page by-line for the Daily Planet, so you might want to at least take a nap."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep anyway," Clark replied, walking beside Chloe as they headed in the direction of the bedrooms located at the opposite end of the hallway off the living area.

"You're excited, aren't you?" Chloe asked. She could feel it coming off him in waves. She recognized it from her old reporting days.

"Weirdly, I am. It's a story about me, though, and I almost feel as if I had an unfair advantage. I took the job at the Planet mostly to help people. I do like the work, but I don't feel as if I deserve this. Lois has been there longer and Perry just handed this over to me-"

"Clark, do you want to know how many front page, above the fold, major headlines Lois has had? Over sixty. And Perry is all about giving people chances to prove themselves, like he was given back when Oliver hired him." Chloe stopped outside the closed door to the master bedroom. "Don't worry about Lois. She'll have her time in the spot-light again. Perry is giving you a chance to prove yourself. You thinking that you _don't _deserve this chance_, _just goes to show that you do. And Perry loved what you did with the article."

"What _you _did, Chloe. I was just the muscle," Clark replied.

"Well, it was your first front page. I couldn't let you flounder when I could do something to help," Chloe needled.

"I can always depend on you to tell me the truth, Chloe," Clark said with a smile. He blinked when he saw her own smile falter a little, but thought it was a trick of the moonlight. "I'll talk to Perry tomorrow and see if I can take a day off soon. Depending on how well tomorrow's article is received, maybe he'll be in a giving mood."

"Just tell him you're spending the day with Metropolis' most notoriously reclusive CEO. That should pique his interest. I promise I'll make it worth his while," Chloe teased.

"Then he'll think he's invited!" Clark exclaimed.

"So? Don't want to share me with anyone?" Chloe laughed. Only seconds later, did she realize what she'd actually asked.

"Not particularly, no," Clark answered in a hushed, possessive voice, running his fingers along the underside of her throat.

Chloe swallowed convulsively. "Good night, Clark," she choked out.

"Good night, Chloe." Clark slipped his hand around the back of her neck and into her hair. Pulling her forward, Clark laid his lips against the clean skin of her forehead and kissed her tenderly.

Chloe closed her eyes, wanting to stay forever here, in this moment, almost pressed against him. But Clark stepped away, giving her the space she knew she needed. Wordlessly, she opened the door and stepped in backwards, her eyes never leaving Clark's. She shut the door slowly, drinking in the sight of him standing in the shafts of moonlight, warm, solid and strong. Chloe turned her back to the door, leaning against it as it clicked shut. Listening carefully, she heard the door to Clark's room just across the hall open and close.

The urge to laugh bubbled within her. She felt like a sixteen year old girl having been dropped off after a date with the high school quarterback. _You never actually believes he can like boring, ordinary you until you read it in his eyes as they peer down at you from beneath his black curls._ It was amazing how Clark Kent could always make her feel like a teenage girl again, both in the good ways and the bad. Of course, the cynical part of her wondered if it was because she put out before they were even a couple. If she didn't know Clark any better. . . But she did. She knew him almost as well as she knew herself, sometimes. She grew up with him and was watching him grow up all over again in the shape of his sons.

Pushing away from the door, Chloe walked over to the bed and stood over Connor and Kaid. They were no where near their father's size yet, but somehow the little devils had managed to take over the entire king bed. Shelby helped, too. Chloe hadn't been able to break Shelby of the habit he'd learned when she'd allowed him to sleep with her right after Clark left. She leaned over and kissed Kaid and then moved to the other side, kissing Connor's forehead, too. Chloe was hopeful in the thought that soon her sons would have a family. More importantly, they'd have their father. Even with the moments in the living room and the hall, Chloe knew it was entirely possible that Clark would walk away from her. For what she'd kept from him and allowing him to think Oliver had fathered Connor and Kaid. But there was no way he would walk away from the two little boys sleeping peacefully in the tangled sheets.

Not feeling like getting undressed again Chloe just slipped off her shoes before curling up in the recliner over in the corner. Propping up the foot rest, she laid her head back and closed her eyes. This time, when the images of Clark came, she didn't try to stop them.

* * *

Clark didn't wake until the sun was high up in the sky. He opened his eyes, allowing his senses to adjust to the world around him. He could hear talking and laughter, the footfalls of people walking around the loft and the thump of heartbeats. He could smell food, delicious home-cooked food, laced with the strong scent of coffee. And he could smell her. The same light, spicy fragrance she'd worn all through high school. A knock sounded on his door. Clark smiled.

"Clark?" Chloe called softly before cracking the door open. Clark leaned up on his elbows and grinned as her blonde head popped out from behind the door. "Good morning," she greeted, returning his smile.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"A little after eleven, sleepy head," Chloe answered as she pushed the door open and leaned against the frame.

Victor appeared at her shoulder. "Your mom is trying to save some breakfast for ya, man, but if you don't hurry, Bart is going inhale your portion. He's already tried once." Victor squeezed Chloe's shoulder and disappeared again.

"I'm going to go help your Mom defend your breakfast," Chloe said before she, too, left the doorway.

Clark threw the sheets back and sat up, stretching. Forgoing the idea of real clothes, he stayed in his pajamas as he wandered out. He could see his Mom sliding a plate into the oven while Chloe sat on the counter off to the side of the sink, sipping coffee from a neon yellow mug. Looking to his left, he saw Connor and Victor playing a game of Slaps.

"Hey, Clark!" Connor yelled, not taking his eyes off Victor who was trying to hit the tops of his hands. Connor would pull them back swiftly, almost in a blur.

"Hey, buddy," Clark replied as he swung a leg over a stool. He was grateful Perry had given him the morning off today. The hours of uninterrupted sleep were nice. A good night kiss from a certain blonde seemed to have cured his insomnia. "Good morning, Kaid."

"Hi," the boy said with slight surliness, not taking his eyes from the cartoon he was watching.

"Two steps forward, one step back," Clark muttered.

"He's just protective of his mother. Don't worry, he was like that with Oliver when Chloe and him started dating, too," Bart informed him.

Clark turned curiously to Bart. "He was?"

Bart's eyes widened. "Of course not, dude! I was just trying to make you feel better. I gotta run!" Bart made a run for the elevator, almost bowling down Chloe who had jumped off the counter to come and sit down by Clark.

"Whoa! Where's the fire?" Chloe asked Bart.

"I just gotta go!" He waved at them all before slamming the door.

"What was that about?" Chloe turned to Clark.

Clark gazed at Chloe, his brows furrowed. "I _honestly_ don't know."

"Well, at least you don't have to fight him off your food," Chloe replied before taking another sip of coffee. "I can't believe you haven't asked to see it yet."

"See what?" Clark queried as Martha set a plate before him filled with eggs, sunny side up and four strips of crispy bacon.

"Biscuits are coming, sweetie," Martha said.

"Thanks, Mom."

"See what?" Chloe asked incredulously with a glance to Martha. "Your article."

"Oh, _that_," Clark said nonchalantly.

"Oh, _that_, he says," Martha mocked, slapping Clark in the head with a folded up Daily Planet.

With an excitement Clark tried very hard to hide, he took the paper from his mother's hands and looked at in it's plastic wrapper.

"You two haven't read it yet?" He asked Chloe and Martha.

"No," Chloe answered, standing and moving slightly behind his shoulder as Martha did the same on his right side.

"We wanted to wait for you," Martha finished.

Exhaling, Clark unwrapped the paper and unfolded it, shaking it out. He felt a twinge of guilt for using Lois' headline since her name wasn't listed with his on the by-line but shook it off. This was his first official article for the Daily Planet and Clark didn't want anything to ruin it.

_Written by Clark Kent, exclusive by Chloe Sullivan._

"How epic is this?" Clark whispered. "Our names are in the Daily Planet." Clark couldn't contain he's excitement any longer. With a happy shout, he shot off the stool, grabbed Chloe by the waist and twirled her in circles. Chloe squealed as Martha laughed at her son's joyous celebrating, her heart warming at the sight of his obvious happiness that had always eluded him when he was younger.

Clark set Chloe back down on her feet and before she could stop him or he could stop himself, he lowered his head and kissed her mouth. Chloe, her arms still around his neck, pressed her lips to his shortly before pulling back. "I'm so happy for you," she said.

There was slam and the sound of something breaking. Clark and Chloe looked frantically around. Chloe's eyes fell on Connor and Victor who were both staring. Connor lowered his head before slumping down on the floor and directing his attention to the abandoned TV.

"Kaid," Chloe said softly. She pulled out of Clark's arms and hurried down the hall. Victor, who looked as confused as Clark, ruffled Connor's hair before joining Martha and Clark.

"What happened?" Clark asked. His shoulders took a fall when he met Martha's eyes. He knew what he'd done.

"She told the boys this morning that her and Oliver are no longer seeing each other," Martha answered quietly, not wanting Connor to hear them.

"Oh man," Victor commented. "I kinda thought that when I came in last night," he shot Clark a look. "But I would have thought the boys already knew."

"They only broke up Saturday. With everything that has gone on, she didn't have the chance to tell them until today," Martha said.

"Still, I shouldn't have done that in front of them. They're going to feel like I'm trying to replace their dad," Clark said, thinking how he'd hated Lionel Luthor when he began sniffing around his mom.

Martha opened her mouth, but shut it, turning on her heel and leaving the room with clenched fists. Clark watched his mother go with a tilted head. What had he said now?

"Take it from a step-kid," Victor started, laying a hand on Clark's shoulder. "We never resent you unless you treat our mama bad. Go over there and watch TV with him. It's not much but it's a start." Victor gave him a little push toward the little boy on the floor. Clark sat down with a huff on the sofa, Connor's head right by his knee.

"So, what are you watching?"

"Nothing," Connor answered, not even turning his head to look at Clark.

Clark screwed up his mouth. He knew Connor liked him, more than Kaid did, but now after Clark's public display of affection with Chloe, the boy probably wasn't too happy. Connor was old enough to understand that his parents weren't together and that maybe Clark was the reason for it. Clark walked back to the bar and picked up his plate and silverware. He looked longingly at his article. His celebration was short-lived, but he could take a break for right now. Shrugging his shoulders, he carried his breakfast over to where Connor was sitting with Shelby. Maneuvering his tall body between the couch and the coffee table took some work, but in the end he finally ended up with his back jammed against the sofa, his knees flat against his chest with his plate balanced on their caps. The point was, he was on the floor next to Connor and hopefully on the same level, metaphorically.

For several moments as he ate he watched Darkwing Duck and Dr. Reginald Bushroot battle it out on screen. "You know," Clark finally voiced after setting his empty plate on the glass-topped coffee table. "I used to watch this when I was little. Bushroot was my favorite."

"But he's a bad guy," Connor replied quietly.

"Yeah," Clark conceded. "But don't you feel sorry for him? All he wants is a friend."

"Maybe he needs to try a different way of making friends," Connor suggested, keeping his eyes locked on the screen.

"Maybe that's the only way he knows how. He just needs some one to accept him, to teach him how to do it the right way."

Connor turned his head, looking at Clark. "You're not a bad guy, are you Clark? All you want is a friend."

Clark was taken aback at the boy's question. He met Connor's eyes seriously, feeling as if he were not talking to a seven year old, but some one much older. "I was kinda hoping you and I could be friends. Kaid, too."

"What about Mom?" Connor asked, gaging Clark closely.

"I like your mom very much," Clark answered honestly.

"What if we don't want you to be friends with her?" Connor turned his head back to the TV, but Clark could tell he was still paying him rapt attention.

"Connor," Clark began gently. "I know I'm not your dad, but I care a lot about your mom-"

Connor stood, knocking over the glass of orange juice he'd been drinking. Clark watched the liquid seep into the white rug, staining the fibers a medium yellow, reminding him of an infected wound that had been somehow opened. He looked up at Connor, up at the seven year old who stood over him.

"You're right, you're not our dad," Connor said thickly. His hazel eyes held tears and Clark recognized the emotion swimming within them. The feeling like no one understood you, never would and all you wanted was to have a normal life. The feeling that used to stare out at him everyday when he looked in the mirror. "And now, because of you, we may never have one."

Clark stared after Connor as the boy walked stoically from the living room.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It was weird day for Clark. One filled with many thoughts and questions and blanks to be filled in.

_"And now, because of you, we may never have one."_

What had Connor meant by that? Oliver would always be a big part of their lives. Clark would not allow that to change. He knew how important fathers were and he was not about to take that away from Connor and Kaid. He was determined to show the boys he only wanted to be another part of their family, not to replace what they already had. He hoped tomorrow would assure the boys of that.

Clark could no longer deny the need to have Chloe in his life. He wasn't satisfied anymore with just her friendship. He wanted her love. He wanted her anger. He wanted her passion. He wanted all of her. Everything she would or could give him, he wanted. He also wanted her truth. Why had she been so quick to run to Oliver?

Clark had never thought of himself as a possessive guy. He could be jealous and petty and immature, but possessive had never been in his mild-mannered nature. Kal was the one who was possessive. Through his training, Clark had come to grips that Kal was him, his baser instincts and needs. He'd learned to become one with the beast inside himself and now understood where most of those emotions came from. And the thought that someone else had followed in his footsteps, angered Clark more than he could imagine. Clark hadn't been aware of it that night, but he'd marked Chloe as his. How dare she forget so quickly. He was quick to believe she was seeking comfort for the cold way he'd left her after she whispered three little words. It was the only way he could keep from pummeling Oliver over and over. For the rest of Chloe's life, Clark would make it up to her for the way he abandoned her. Starting with dinner tomorrow night.

He was looking forward to spending the day with Connor and Kaid tomorrow, hoping to form a bond with them. As Clark and Chloe moved into this new phase of their relationship, all three adults would need to work together to make the transition as smooth as possible for Connor and Kaid. They would need to sit down and talk all this out.

"Kent!" Perry barked.

"Yes?" Clark jumped. He'd been leaning forward in his chair, hand propping his chin up as he let his mind meander around from topic to topic.

"What are you doing?" Perry was standing next to Lois' empty desk.

"I, uh. . . I'm-"

"You don't stay on top in this business very long, Clark," Perry cut him off. "It's a constant struggle. Look at Lois. She's one of the best but it's a daily fight to stay at the top of the heap. You're Superman story was a lucky break, kid. I won't always be handing them out like candy."

"Yes, sir," Clark responded gravely.

"So, what are you doing?" Perry asked him again.

"I'm looking into another angle for Lois on the Lex Luthor story, when Mr. Queen allows it to go to print," Clark answered, Doug Weimar being the first thing to pop into his head.

"Good. Although, my advice to you is, if you want to get ahead, you look into the angle for your _own _sake, not Lois'."

"No offense, Perry, but she kinda had dibbs on the Superman story and you handed it to me. I kind of owe her one."

Perry stepped over and laid a hand on Clark's shoulder. "That unshakeable integrity of yours makes you a great man, Clark, but it makes you a horrible reporter. Do you really want to spend the rest of your career licking Lois' heels? No, you don't. I get that Lois is your friend and all, but in this place," Perry gestured to the busy fifth floor newsroom. "She's your competition." With one final squeeze, Perry marched off, stopping momentarily to flirt harmlessly with Susie, the floor supply manager.

"I do want _something _from you before you take tomorrow off," Perry called before finally leaving the floor.

Clark resumed his position, now adding where his next headline was going to come from to his mental to-do list. Riding Lois' coattails may not be such a bad thing. He enjoyed his moment in the spotlight, but didn't like the added pressure that was pressing against him now. Clark already had enough stress of being Superman and meshing that in with his personal life to have to worry about being competitive at the Planet.

"Look," a familiar abrasive voice cooed. "It's my very own statue of The Thinker."

Clark raised his eyes to meet those Lois. "I was really hoping you'd be in a better mood today."

"Why would you think that? I'm still mad that you stole my story," Lois growled, shrugging off her quilted jacket and hanging it off the back of her chair before sitting down. "Good job, by the way."

"Excuse me?"

Lois looked over at him, her face sincere. "I said good job. I mean, the whole article was basically Chloe, but the parts that you wrote were good. Very wholesome without sounding hokey. I was impressed, Smallville."

"Thanks. I appreciate that," Clark responded with a smile.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable on the front page, though, if I were you," Lois said, returning to her prickly self.

"Whatever you say, Lois," Clark replied, feeling the balance between them shift back to it's normal state. He was glad to have it back.

"I'm sorry about your house. Do you think it was Lex?"

"I'm sure of it. But whatever he was looking for he didn't find," Clark answered.

He had an idea for a follow-up to the Superman story, he just needed to find the witness list Officer Ramirez copied out for him. He riffled through some of the papers on his desk and then began sorting through the inbox on his desk.

"What are you looking for?" Lois asked.

"The witness list Ramirez gave us yesterday. I thought I could do a nice companion piece to the Superman story by getting a public opinion of the guy." He was also interested himself to see what others thought. He'd talked to a few in the crowd, but at the time he'd been more concerned by the thought of a picture identifying him.

"Oh," Lois chirped. She pulled out a orange binder from the satchel she'd toted in with her. She withdrew a single sheet from it and handed it over. "Here you go."

"Thanks. Mind if I ask what you were doing with it?"

"Yes, I do. You might take that from me too," Lois simpered.

"Are you still trying to find out who Superman is?"

Lois jingled imaginary keys in front of him and then motioned to her mouth, locking the invisible lock at a corner and then tossed the keys away.

"You could have just said yes," Clark countered.

Lois smiled before she fed Perry's words to him. "You may possibly be my friend, but in here, you're obviously my competition. I didn't think you had it in you, but I was unpleasantly surprised. Again."

Clark decided to ignore Lois and her barb about his capability. He glanced at the list. There had to be well over a hundred names on the list. Grouping them into categories, Clark separated the names into ages and sex. He quickly jotted down some vague questions and then started with the middle-aged males first and worked his way outward.

By six-twenty, ten minutes until he needed to go and pick up Chloe, he was putting the finishing touches on what he thought of as a human interest story. It might not be front page material, but it was enlightening. The general public opinion of him was very complimentary and heart-warming. There were only a few that were negative and one woman was down-right terrified he'd come and kill her in the night. Clark grabbed Dustin, one of the copy editors and handed over his piece.

"Could you proof read this for me and then send it up to Perry?"

"Sure thing, Clark," the young guy said with an eager nod.

"Thanks. Have a good night," Clark replied with a wave.

"You leaving?" Lois asked from her chair. They were first words she'd spoken to him in about four hours.

"Yep. You staying late tonight?"

"Yeah. I got some loose ends to tie up on the Lex story. Oliver said we could run it some time next week."

"Speaking of Lex, Chloe may have some information you could use on Weimar and Mickler if you want," Clark suggested, knowing Chloe had spent most of her day to compile a small encyclopedia on the Doug Weimar.

"Thanks. I'll give her a call later," Lois replied. "Have a good night."

"You, too," Clark responded, throwing his coat over one shoulder as he walked to the elevators.

"Hey Clark?"

"Yeah?" He turned to find Lois on her feet, running her fingers back and forth along the edge of her desk.

"About Chloe-"

"Lois, I know what you're going to say-"

"No, you don't." Lois walked purposefully over to him, standing before him with her hands on her hips. "I've never really liked you, Clark. At least when it comes to Chloe. You're a nice guy and everything, but you have this uncanny ability to screw Chloe over."

"Lois-"

_"I'm not done," _Lois spoke over him. "But even with all the crap you've put her through over the years, I've never seen her as happy as she is when she's with you. And it's nice to see that again." Lois balled her fist and socked him softly like she used to. Not giving him a chance to respond, Lois turned and sauntered quickly back to her desk.

Seeing him still watching her, Lois shot Clark a real smile for the first time since he'd been back. Clark returned it and then looked out one of the windows, waiting for a pig to fly by.

* * *

Chloe watched the printer in Oliver's home office spit out page after page on Doug Weimar. His birth certificate; school records; medical records; police records; any kind of record to be found on him Chloe could get her hands on. Single, of average intelligence and a history of violent behavior, it was not hard to see why Doug had been snared by Lex. He was the prime candidate for the type of brainwashing Lex specialized in.

Finally, the final page of her novel printed and Chloe piled the paper neatly in a stack before pulling out a brown envelope from a desk drawer and sliding the inch thick mass into it. Sealing it, she took it and put it beside her bag by the door. Clark was coming by to pick her up at six-thirty to go to Watchtower. Turning back to the room, her eyes fell on Connor and Kaid, eating dinner with matching depressive faces.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat something?" Martha asked. She was sitting on the sofa, an open book in her lap.

"No," Chloe declined. "I'm not really hungry." Truth was, she'd been too nervous to eat all day. With Bart's admission and the meeting later tonight, her stomach was in knots. After Clark left for work, Bart returned and told Chloe about his slip up.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I just totally forgot," Bart apologized as the two stood out on the balcony.

Chloe quickly stopped him. "You have nothing to be sorry about. This is all my fault. I'm the one who is sorry. I didn't realize how many people would have to lie when I didn't come clean sooner. Clark is one of your best friends, I should have never put you in this position."

"So, I'm taking the little rendezvous in the dark that me and Victor busted up this morning was a step in the right direction?"

"That is none of your business," Chloe told Bart sweetly.

"Well, you should know what you're missing," Bart replied, brushing his nails on his jacket. "I could take you places you've never been before."

"Bart-"

"Is there a height requirement with you babes? Really," Bart turned to her, his face shocking in it's serious expression. "Clark is a giant and you're tiny! Dinah is only an inch shorter than me and she can't keep her hands off AC. I've met your cousin, Lois, so I'll leave her alone but am I really that short?"

"Is this a rhetorical question?" Chloe asked hesitantly.

"It's just that everyone is pairing up. Even Victor got hit on in Russia by the automated female computer doohickey he was hacking. Just promise me if you and Clark ever hit the skids again you'll give me a test run?"

"You'll find somebody. Somebody who is better than me. And to tell you the truth, Bart, I'm not even sure there will be a 'me and Clark'," Chloe replied, turning away from the guy she loved like a little brother. Her statement made chills run through her causing her to pull the jacket she'd put on tighter around her in the cold November air.

And she still wasn't sure. The thought that tomorrow could change everything for her made her stomach roll like a tiny toy boat in upset bath water. She could live without Clark. She proved that for years now. But Chloe knew she wouldn't survive watching him walk away from her again.

Chloe watched Connor and Kaid. She was doing this for them. As a mother, she could not let fear rule her decisions, directly impacting her sons' life. It wasn't just about her and Clark anymore. It was about her and Clark and their two children. Leaning against the bar, she rested her chin on her hands. Connor and Kaid had hardly spoken to her the whole day. They were mad at her and moped around, just like their daddy used to.

"Guys, I want to talk to you," Chloe said.

Neither Connor or Kaid looked up, just shoveled more Velveeta macaroni and cheese into their mouths.

_"Connor Joseph and Jonathon Kincaid."_ Three heads shot up at Chloe's harsh tone, Martha's included. "You will look at me when I am speaking to you, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." The two little boys nodded meekly, knowing they were in serious trouble when their mother called them by their two first names. They kept their hazel eyes locked in on their mother's identical pair.

"You will give Clark a chance," Chloe continued on gently. "I know you like Ollie and I am not saying that when Clark becomes a part of this family, you have to like Ollie any less. But please try tomorrow. For me, guys." She reached out and laid a hand on an arm of each twin.

"But, Mom," Kaid argued. "We don't have to hide what we can do from Ollie. What if Clark finds out what we can do? He'll think we're freaks."

Chloe bit her lip to keep from crying. This was all her fault. Looking for strength, Chloe found Martha watching them closely. Martha hugged her book to her chest and Chloe knew it was meant for her.

"Come here." Chloe motioned for Connor and Kaid. Each boy slipped off their stool and came to stand on either side of her. Squatting down, Chloe wrapped an arm around each boy's waist, pulling them into a one armed hug.

"Clark would _never _think that about you," she told them gravely, turning her head back and forth to look Connor and Kaid in the eyes. "You know why? Because you two are _not _freaks. Both of you are very special and there is _nothing_ wrong with what you can do. In fact, Clark may understand more than you think. I know this all so confusing right now, but I _promise _that one day you both will understand."

Connor, remembering what he'd seen in the barn and what he'd seen at the house after it had been torn apart, looked at his mother. He and Kaid had never met their father. They'd been told he was gone for a very important reason and they must not be selfish to want him for just themselves because he was like Green Arrow or The Flash or Aquaman. He was off making the world a safer place for them to live in. Ollie told them one day that their father loved them very much and would want them all to be happy. At night, when the house was dark and silent, Connor would sometimes lie awake at night, listening to the sounds that the house would make or the calls of night just outside his window. And sometimes, he would hear his mom. She would be crying. He hadn't heard her cry in a long time. You didn't cry when you were happy. Somehow, Connor knew Clark was the reason for this.

Connor caught his brother's eye. In a way only known to twins themselves, they communicated and Kaid nodded his head. Being the oldest of the two, Connor was the one who spoke. "We'll try, Mom. We promise."

"Thank you." Chloe gathered each boy as close as she could and hugged them tightly. She would make this right. Chloe swore she would make this right.

* * *

Clark pulled Chloe's borrowed SUV into the underground parking area of Oliver's building. He'd kept up the pretense of driving with Krenshaw and Allistor watching the premises all day. Waving to one of the men, Allistor, he headed to the elevator and stepped inside. For some strange reason, be it paranoia or something else, he sharpened his hearing for sounds of tell-tale clicking. All he heard today were the blissful sounds of mechanical workings and the higher he rose, he could hear Chloe's voice.

_"You will give Clark a chance. I know you like Ollie and I am not saying that when Clark becomes a part of this family, you have to like Ollie any less. But please try tomorrow. For me, guys."_

Clark smiled. _When _he became a part of the family, not _if._

_"But, Mom, we don't have to hide what we can do from Ollie. What if Clark finds out what we can do? He'll think we're freaks."_

Clark cocked an eyebrow at Kaid's words. He'd spent a lot of time already around Connor and Kaid and he'd never once seen anything suspicious. They seemed like two healthy, normal boys. But his mind quickly supplied him with the fact that they had grown up in Smallville. Clark wondered fleetingly if they somehow inherited Chloe's own meteor power. She'd lost it when Brainiac took over her body, canceling it out somehow with it's own special abilities. Her healing powers hadn't returned after the AI had been forced out, either. Clark hoped that wasn't the case for Connor and Kaid. They were too young to have to deal with such a weighty power of life and death. But if that wasn't it, then what was it? Whatever it was, Clark knew Chloe would tell him when she was ready. Probably over dinner tomorrow night. And he would not look at the boys any differently. If anything, it would make it easier for them to accept _him_.

_"Come here. Clark would never think that about you. You know why? Because you two are not freaks. Both of you are very special and there is nothing wrong with what you can do. In fact, Clark may understand more than you think. I know this all so confusing right now, but I promise that one day you both will understand."_

The elevator arrived at the loft.

_"We'll try, Mom. We promise."_

Clark punched in the disarming code and slid the door open after hearing Connor's voice. He saw Chloe look up at him, still hugging both her boys. Martha half-stood, half-sat on the couch behind them, tears in her eyes.

"Hi," Chloe greeted softly.

"Hi," Clark returned. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Clark," Connor and Kaid said. Clark felt a twist in his gut when he realized they'd dropped the Uncle. The boys dropped their arms and returned to the dinner plates at the counter. Chloe ran her fingers through their hair as they went and then turned to Clark. He still stood just inside the loft, feeling he'd stumbled in on a moment he shouldn't have seen. He also wondered why his mother seemed to be crying.

Chloe walked forward and stood up on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on his smooth cheek. "How was your day?" She asked.

"How very Florence Henderson of you," Clark responded at her domestic greeting. She rolled her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out. "That's better. It was good. I talked to a lot of the witnesses from yesterday about their opinion on Superman."

"And?" Chloe asked with eager eyes. Martha placed her book on the table and joined them. She dashed tears with her fingers and gazed at Clark also, her own expression matching Chloe's.

"It's good. For the most part," Clark answered, wedging between the two women to hang up his coat. "Any left for me?" He asked, pointing to the plate Kaid was currently licking clean.

"In the pot on the stove," Kaid answered.

"Thanks," Clark replied with a smile, counting it a victory he'd gotten more than three words out of the kid.

"And the lesser part?" Chloe reminded him, bringing up a bowl from the cabinets beneath the counter and dishing some of the pasta out for Clark. Clark sat on the stool beside Kaid and accepted the bowl from Chloe. With the exception of his breakfast late this morning he hadn't eaten a thing and he was surprised to find he was starving. "Sorry, it's just mac and cheese."

"Anything sounds good right now," Clark replied before he continued the earlier thread of conversation. "Others think the police need to handle him or the government. They're afraid of what this could mean for life beyond Earth and how many others like him will feel like coming out of hiding. I can understand where they're coming from. Fear of the unknown and all."

"But, overall, people were receptive to yo-Superman?" Martha caught herself quickly. Her son's dual identity was going to take some getting used to.

"Seems like it," Clark nodded.

"I think he's cool," Connor offered, chewing his last bite of mac and cheese. "Superman," Connor finished when he saw all three adults looking at him.

"He saved Mom," Kaid helped. "We should send him a thank you note. It would be the polite thing to do."

"How did you two know about that?" Chloe asked. Had superhearing kicked in without her knowing? She wasn't sure if she was ready for the whole 'Little Pitchers Have Big Ears' scenario just yet.

"Come on, Mom," Connor sighed as he rolled his eyes, mimicking his mother to a T. "How long did you expect us to believe the paper cut story?"

"We learned to read with the Planet when were four!" Kaid exclaimed

"Four?" Clark was impressed. Connor and Kaid had obviously inherited their mother's mind as well. Maybe they were little geniuses and that what was the secret was. But why would he understand that? He'd only been a math whiz. Anything literary was all Chloe. "That's ambitious."

"Yeah, well, they got bored easily. We need to get going," Chloe spoke hurriedly.

"Sure. Let me go change," Clark picked up his bowl, still half full of mac and cheese. "I'm just going to take this with me."

"Mom, can we go with Krenshaw to walk Shelby?" Connor asked as he spied Krenshaw coming out of the corner with Shelby hooked to a leash.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. You need to stay in the apartment for a few more days. It would make me feel better," Chloe answered. She hated keeping them inside, but she didn't want them wandering out of her sight for more than a few minutes. Chloe wasn't even sure she could leave them in the loft while her and Clark went to the League meeting tonight.

"Can we be excused then?"

"Yes, you can," Chloe said to Kaid. She watched as the boys went and flopped on the sofa, turning on the TV and begin to surf the channels. They'd already finished any homework they had been assigned at the end of last week. They'd never been kept inside four walls this long and Chloe knew one of them or both would develop cabin fever soon. She carried their plates over to the sink and turned on the water to rinse them before placing them in the dish washer.

"Chloe," Martha breathed. Chloe turned her head, meeting the older woman's eyes. "You named Kaid after Jonathon?"

Chloe smiled, grasping Martha's hand in her own.

"Thank you. He would have loved that."

"I'm just sorry they'll never know him," Chloe whispered. Martha patted Chloe's hand before walking away, unable to stem the flow of droplets from her eyes at the honor Chloe had bestowed upon her late husband. _If only you'd lived to see this moment, Honey,_ Martha said to his spirit.

"Is everything okay with my mom?" Clark came back into the kitchen dressed in jeans and a yellow baseball shirt with red sleeves.

"I think the book she's reading got to her," Chloe answered.

Clark squinted, sharpening his eyesight, looking at the book currently laying on the coffee table. "Chicken Soup For The Soul: Laughter Is The Best Medicine?"

"Yeah, well, you know. You laugh so hard you cry!" Chloe exclaimed. Clark narrowed his eyes at her. "Krenshaw should be back any moment with Shelby, then we can get going."

"Did you strike any gold today on Weimar?" Clark asked as he watched his mother ask the boys if they wanted to learn how to play Gin Rummy.

"I struck gold, all right. Liquid gold." The note of satisfaction in Chloe's voice turned Clark to face her. She tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ears and smiled slyly at him.

"What did you find?"

"Did you know that Doug's family once owned the nation's largest Bourbon Distillery outside of Kentucky? Weimar's Wild Turkey was a house-hold name back in the late 90's. They were very popular for the recipe on the back of the bottle called 'Nana's Down Home Southern Style Egg Nog'. "

"Once owned? What happened?"

"In 2000, Doug's parents hit some financial snags. The oldest son got in way too deep with some of Metropolis' nastiest loan sharks, to name one snag. They were forced to take a buy out of half of the family owned company. After that, things started to go downhill. That son committed suicide, two more were killed in the line of duty while on tour in Iraq. All that was left was Doug."

"Where was Doug when all this was going on?"

"Doug only graduated three years before we did over in Granville. He was in college at Met U but after only two semesters, money began to dwindle so he dropped out. That's when he started dealing."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about Black Jack?"

"He's been arrested for eleven counts of possession and armed assault," Chloe sighed. "This guy's got a rap sheet taller than me. And every crime just kept getting bigger and bigger. He cost his family the other half of the company with bail money and lawyers who always managed to get him off."

"How was he able to get a job as a security guard?" _Was anyone what they seemed anymore?_ Clark thought as Mickler came to mind.

"Easy," Chloe replied. "He graduated and went to school as Douglas Peter Weimar but was arrested as Peter Williams. I was able to match the picture on his security badge I got from Reynold's to at least ten different mugshots from the Metropolis' PD Database under that alias."

"Does Reynold's Security Firm have anything to do with this?" Clark questioned.

"I don't think so," Chloe answered. "Everyone I have talked to at Reynold's is very open and apologetic. The President of the firm even wants to meet with me."

"What happened after all the arrests? Did he just decide to go straight one day?"

"Not quite," Chloe broke off as Krenshaw came back in with Shelby. "I'll tell you the rest in the car."

Chloe left Clark's side to go over to where Martha and the boys were sprawled on the floor playing cards. Chloe hugged each boy and kissed their head, saying she'd be back later.

"Bye, sweetie," Martha said, kissing Chloe on the cheek before blowing one to Clark. "You two have fun."

"You could come with us-"

"No," Martha cut Chloe off sternly. "We'll be fine here. You all have more things to worry about. Now, go."

Chloe returned to Clark, uneasiness about leaving Connor and Kaid etched clearly between her eyes.

"Krenshaw!" Martha hollered. "Come on over, we need a fourth."

They paused to watch Krenshaw lower himself to the floor uncomfortably, taking the time to adjust his gun to where it was easily accessible but hidden by his suit jacket. He furrowed his brow and picked up a hand Martha dealt him. They made a very funny little group.

"They'll be fine," Clark assured her gently. Chloe nodded. They would be fine. They were almost invulnerable. But that didn't mean she didn't think they could still be in danger. She felt Clark take her hand and lead her toward the stairs.

"My bag!" Chloe remembered.

"I got it." Clark patted the bag on his shoulder as he and Chloe began the long hike down to the underground parking lot.

"Thanks. Just a little more scattered today than I normally am," Chloe told him. They walked leisurely down the flights of stairs until they reached the sublevel parking.

"At least I'll be getting my exercise," Chloe noted when she and Clark were belted in the car. She waved at Allistor as they left.

"So you were saying about Doug," Clark reminded once he pulled out onto the busy street.

"Right," Chloe started. "Where was I?"

"You were explaining why he went straight," Clark supplied.

"Around the middle of 2003, his father was diagnosed with, _surprise surprise, _liver cancer. Doug came home, cleaned up and was the good and dutiful son."

"So in the span of fourteen years, he went from the Return of the Jedi to the Empire Strikes Back?"

Clark was an avid closet Star Wars fan. He'd had been over one day before the start of their Freshmen year of high school helping Chloe with some snake emergency (she'd always wondered how he'd made the two mile trip so fast on foot). She'd refused to be left alone in the house until her dad came home for work so Clark, ever the gentlemen, stayed and continued to help her unpack some boxes that still sat around after a year of the Sullivans' moving in.

In one of the boxes, Clark unearthed Gabe's highly embarrassing Star Wars Memorabilia Collection, including the original released media format of episodes IV-VI along with the DVD collection of I, IV, V, and VI. Chloe popped one in for him, more for background noise than anything and returned to unpacking. Ten minutes later Chloe realized Clark was seated on the floor in front of the TV, his long legs folded up against his chest, totally engrossed in the movie. Always looking for something she could share with just Clark, Chloe sat down next him. When that one ended, he begged to watch a second. Chloe offered to loan him the DVD's so he could take them with him but he told her his parents didn't own a DVD player, something Chloe remedied that Christmas. So they had an impromptu Star Wars Marathon that night with pizza and ice cream brought home by Gabe when Chloe called and asked if it was okay for Clark to stay.

Chloe laughed. She'd certainly got something just the two of them could share. With Pete hating anything having to do with aliens or outerspace (outside of his real life) and Clark never _dreaming _ofasking Lana to something so nerdy, it was Chloe would stood in the long line outside of Metropolis Multiplex on May 15th, 2002 with Clark, waiting to get tickets to the midnight showing of Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones. She only understood, three years later almost to the day, when she was again standing outside the Metropolis Multiplex waiting for the midnight showing of the final Star Wars movie with Clark, why he loved it so much. It was about an orphaned boy trying to find his place in the world, fighting the battle of good and evil as only he could, the journeys of two men; the hero and the other, the ultimate villain. Chloe had never ever had the heart to tell him how muchshe _loathed _Star Wars.

"Why don't you leave the pop culture references to me next time, but yeah, something like that," Chloe teased him. Clark didn't respond, just looked at her with exasperation. "He took over running the family's Distillery."

"I thought you said the company got bought out?"

"It did, but the buyers allowed Paul Weimar, Doug's dad, to stay on as the Distillery Manager."

"Until Paul got cancer," Clark said.

"Exactly. So Doug rode to the rescue," Chloe replied.

"How did he and Lex hook up?"

Chloe shifted in the seat. "Here's where it gets bad," Chloe told him baldly. "Clark, before Weimars' Inc. moved to the Distillery they opened up outside of Topeka in 2010, the old one was located out on Route 9 halfway between of Granville and Smallville. The family owned a house a few miles from the Distillery. Doug still lives in the house. It's a little east of Lander's Field."

Chloe paused, waiting for Clark's reaction.

"Chloe, no. . ." Clark allowed his voice to trail off, gripping the wheel tighter.

Chloe reached over and laid one of her hands on top of his. Clark relaxed his hold, remembering not to turn her steering wheel into a pretzel.

"The day before the we graduated, the day before the meteor shower, Paul Weimar had been discharged from Met Gen after a successful liver transplant," Chloe continued on, smoothing her hand along the back of Clark's thick one. "Doug was in Smallville when the meteor's hit. By the time he was able to get home, it was over."

"Lander's Field was where Lana's helicopter crashed. That was where Brainiac's ship came down-"

"Yes. Mr. and Mrs. Kryptonian made a pit stop before heading into Smallville. From the police reports I read, Doug came in to find his parents being dangled off the ground in their living room. He tried to break a chair over the man, but it didn't do anything to him. From Doug's statement, he was picked up and thrown across the room and knocked unconscious. When he came to, both his parents. . ."

"They were dead," Clark growled. He hated the man for the danger he'd put Chloe in and wanted to kill Doug for the fear he inspired within both him and Chloe, but he could understand the man's pain.

"Lex was at the police station, trying to file a missing persons for me after he couldn't find me in the caves or in town. He overheard Doug going ballistic when a Deputy kept asking if Doug was sure of what he saw. He approached Doug later and offered him a job at Luthorcorp, working with him and Lana to unlock the mysteries of Brainiac's ship Lex had hijacked from Lander's Field. I got a hold of Doug's employment history and it's quite impressive. He's the kind of guy Reynold's would hire. Doug was listed as the head of security for Luthorcorp from 2006 to 2013, when Oliver fired most of the people still left over from the merger after Lex was indicted."

"Do you think it was a lucky coincidence that Doug ended up working at Reynold's who assigned him to Isis?" Clark couldn't keep the bite out of his voice. Lex always did have a strange fascination with Chloe, mainly for her tie to Clark, but Clark had been gone these past years. A jealous burn shocked him at the fact that maybe Lex's fascination had turned into something beyond a search for answers.

"I don't know," Chloe answered as Clark turned onto Lady Scots and parked a few spaces down from Watchtower. "Doug did ask me out a couple of years ago but I turned him down."

"Because of you and Oliver?" Clark posed it as a question, although he didn't understand why.

"Lex was in prison at the time," Chloe continued, artfully side-stepping Clark's curious observation. "Most of his contacts diminished in prison, with the exception of Mickler it looks like. Unless he was able to have some Russian do the string-pulling for him, I don't see how he would be able to puppet Doug into Isis." Chloe opened her door and stepped, Clark following suit.

"I guess that doesn't really matter right now," Clark stated. He'd noticed how Chloe had dodged his question. Joining her on the sidewalk, Clark put an arm around her shoulders and together they made their way along to Watchtower. Chloe snaked an arm around his waist, allowing her head to fall against that comfy spot just under his shoulder. In companionable silence, they took the steps up to Watchtower in unison.

"You're late," Oliver admonished with twinkling eyes when the two of them strolled in. Everyone was already gathered around the Situation Room.

"I had to fill Clark in on what I'd found out about Doug," Chloe told him, stepping out from under Clark's arm and sitting down on the couch cushion next to Dinah. She'd called Oliver earlier to tell him all she'd found, both of them going over what step to take next. The conclusion they reached was to start looking on home turf again.

_"You know who we need to call," Oliver said to her._

_"I know," Chloe replied. "I think it's a good idea."_

_"Are you sure? You want to give anyone a heads up?"_

_"It's not like she needs to come, Oliver. She can just give us some of the locations Lex has used over the years for his more devious experiments," Chloe argued._

_"You know how much taking Lex down meant to her the first time. She'll want to be involved," Oliver returned._

_"If she comes, she comes. It's not like we can keep her out of it if she makes up her mind to," Chloe sighed._

_"If you're sure," Oliver said hesitantly._

_"I am. Make the call."_

Chloe crossed her legs, the nervousness she'd felt dissipate in the ride over returning in tri-folds. She clenched her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. Any minute now.

"Since we're all now here-" Victor started.

"Not yet," Oliver broke in, meeting Chloe's eyes. Oliver turned his attention back to the rest of the room. "I've called in someone who has more knowledge on tracking Lex. Chances are he has gone back to one of his older haunts. I have a lot of old properties that Queen acquired with the purchase of Luthorcorp, but we don't even know where to start. The search could take months and we need to move as fast as we can before someone else gets hurt."

"Who did you call in?" AC asked from beside Dinah.

Anxiety was coming off Chloe in waves and at the last minute she turned to Clark.

"Clark, listen-"

A chime sounded below, the alert that someone without the proper electronic security clearance was on the stoop. Oliver, being the closest to the alarm console, hit the green button and peered at the screen. He spoke into the intercom.

"Come on up. Top of the building."

"What is it, Chloe?" Clark asked, her big eyes making him worry. What could possibly be so nerve-racking for her right now?

"We needed more information than we had," Chloe started to explain, gesturing between herself and Oliver. The others were watching closely, as well, knowing now that whoever was headed up to them would be a shock. "We just made the decision today, otherwise we would have prepared you."

Clark looked at the others. They looked back at him. Obviously all except Oliver and Chloe were in the dark.

"Prepare me for what?"

Chloe opened her mouth just as the double doors swung open. She kept her eyes trained on Clark's face as he glanced quickly up and then did a massive double-take.

"Hi, Clark."

"Lana. . ."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_"Lana. . ."_

Seated beside Chloe on the arm of the sofa, Clark jumped up and skittered to the back of the room, as far from Lana as he could get. She looked markedly different than the last time Clark saw her. Her hair had grown out again, liberally laced with silver, giving her a goddess appearance. Her face was still the heavenly perfection it always had been but her eyes were tired and weary as if she'd seen too much and her mouth was turned down at the corners, having forgotten the ability to smile. She looked much older than her thirty years.

"No, no," Lana said frantically, coming into the room with her hand out in a pleading gesture.

Clark waited for the burning agony and the sickening effects of Kryptonite. But they didn't come. With wide eyes, he looked up at Lana. She stood only a few feet from him. He looked around at the others, all watching him and Lana with distinct interest. All except Chloe, who gazed at the hands in her lap.

"Dr. Groll fixed me," Lana began, Clark turning his attention back to her. "I don't absorb it anymore. I somehow neutralize it instead."

Still, he gazed at her warily. During his training he'd felt discomfort, hunger and tiredness. None of those compared to the indescribable pain Kryptonite unleashed upon him. He hadn't felt it in over eight years and he wasn't keen on experiencing a physical reminder. Slowly, Clark returned to stand right behind Chloe. He didn't feel anything the closer he got to Lana.

She smiled at him. "See?"

Clark nodded. "It's nice to see you again," Clark said tightly. After their excruciating parting in his loft, Clark never thought he'd lay eyes on Lana again. Now she stood before him, super-powered and Kryptonite-free. Again, he waited. He waited for the emotional pain, the yearning, the longing that had always defined their relationship. Just as before, it didn't come. All that filled him was relief at her safety and obvious good health. Thats when he knew for sure. He was over Lana. Whatever he'd once felt for her, was well and truly gone. Not able to help himself, he looked from Lana to Chloe, finding that when his eyes fell upon Chloe, strong feelings filled him up inside. Feelings of comfort and home and fire that threatened to bring tears to his eyes. As if he were somehow metaphysically connected to her, Clark could feel Chloe's anxiety and the rapid pounding of her heart at the prospect of Clark and Lana's reunion. What he wouldn't give to sweep her into his arms and show her, once and for all, that she was his. Had always been his and he'd always been hers. Chloe was who he'd belonged with, since he was a teenager, he just hadn't been ready for her. _He'd needed to grow into her, _Clark thought with a smile.

Instead, he sat back down on the arm of the sofa, leaning back and placing a big hand behind Chloe's head. Reaching across him, he grasped Chloe's hand in his other one and brought their twined hands to rest atop his thigh. Chloe peered out at him from under a curtain of blonde hair. Clark smiled down at her. He wished she had warned him. It was a shock to see his ex-girlfriend. But that's all it was. A shock. Chloe relaxed into the sofa, her back resting against the strong muscle of Clark's side. She tightened her grip on his hand.

"Are we all here _now?"_ Bart asked, gently reminding everyone they had a psycho killer and his two henchmen on the loose.

"Yeah," Oliver spoke gruffly. He'd waited years to witness that special, private moment between Clark and Chloe. Grimly, he knew it was only a small stepping stone across the precarious river they needed to cross. "Lana, if you'll have a seat."

Lana took a seat on a tall stool on the outskirts of the group, her booted feet hanging down, toes barely touching the floor. She glanced over at Chloe and Clark. Getting over Clark had been a hard process for her. She almost hadn't come when Oliver called and asked for her assistance in tracking down Lex. But she needed to see him. Needed to see if he still felt the same after all these years. Lana closed her eyes briefly. The look of almost fear in his eyes when she stepped into the room and then shock caused her gut to twist. But the look she'd been hoping for never came. Instead, he looked away and down to Chloe. Now she remembered why she'd asked Chloe not to tell Clark about the reversal of the Prometheus suit. She was right, too much time had passed. Their bond hadn't been strong enough. Or Clark was finally ready to stop running from the feelings he'd always had for Chloe. Either way, Lana knew she'd finally faded from Clark's orbit and it was time to let him go.

"We know from our trip to Russia," Oliver began. "That Lex's lab is still the same smoldering pile of ashes it was a few years ago. Victor, you want to tell them what you found out about the prison?"

"The prison we found was empty," Victor began, more for the benefit of Clark, Chloe and Lana.

"That is what I don't understand," Chloe said, shaking the hair out of her eyes. "When we went last time, that prison was filled with Government Ne'er-Do-Wells. Where did they all go?"

"From older research, we know most of the inmates in the prison were people the Russian Government saw as a threat. Mainly, for people with ties to the Russian Extremist group of Black Skye. Political activists, military leaders, outspoken educators and even the odd scientist here and there. I found some transfer papers," Victor explained. He stood and made his way over to the large computer console set within a counter. Quickly running his fingers along the smooth, glassy surfaces, digital copies of the papers appeared on the expansive screen set into the wall they were all facing. "These show that most, if not all, the prisoners were set to be transferred to a more humane prison by order of the United Nations. Funny thing is, only a few made it to the planned destination."

"How many is a few?" Clark asked.

"Five," Victor answered. "I've kept my ear to the ground and it seems the United Nations has ordered an investigation into the missing prisoners. The Russian Government complied, but it is as if these people disappeared into thin air."

"Or were bought for a very high price," Lana commented.

"When did the transfer go through?" Chloe asked.

"Two and a half years after Lex was sentenced."

"Are we sure this is connected to Lex?" Dinah said. "I mean, could this be something completely separate?"

"There is the possibility. Lex lost whatever stock in the company and all his vast resources went to trying to get him off or to cover up his heinous acts," Oliver replied. "I don't know how he could pull something like this off from behind bars."

"What if that was all part of the plan?" Clark ventured. "What if he wanted to get caught? So when the final part of his plan was complete, no one would think it was him because he was in prison?"

The group fell silent, each mulling over the possibility that the Justice League had been played.

"But that would mean he knew Oliver was the Green Arrow," AC mused.

"That's not necessarily true," Lana countered. "From what I remember, he was laundering money from Queen Industries. He might have not counted on the Green Arrow, but may have counted on Oliver noticing and hiring the right people to get to the bottom of it."

"Until we know more, let's go with that theory," Oliver suggested. "That being said, how about we get down to work? Lana, you have some ideas about some locations Lex has used in the past that he may be using again."

"Yeah. Chloe, could you help me?"

Chloe slid her hand out of Clark's and stood. "Sure." Joining Lana, both women leaned over the computer console and mimicked Victor's actions. Three clear building plans took shape on the screen before them.

"Lex has three major locations since he last used them that have fallen into disrepair. I think these are the places you all need to look at first. This one, is the facility he used to house the spaceship that came down in the last meteor shower. Warehouse 15," Lana told them as she pointed to the first schematic. "It was one of the many satellite plants Lex opened around Lowell county."

"I know the one you're talking about," Oliver broke in. "It's not being used and the budget committee wants to sell it back to the county. That would be a good place to start. Back on his old hunting grounds. Bart, Victor, I want the two of you to go check this one out."

"The next one I have is the original sight of his first 33.1 Experimentation Lab," Lana continued. Clark saw Chloe's hands clench slightly.

"The one that was inside the abandoned hospital on Old Paper Mill Road," Chloe whispered, remembering when her mother had been sequestered there by Lex and his minions.

"Yes," Lana said. She reached out and rubbed Chloe's arm. She turned back to the room. "This one would be my best guess as to where he's hiding or planning something. It's very run down, out of the way and just hidden enough by Hobson's Forest you can barely see it from the road."

"Dinah and me will take that one. Since it was a 33.1 Lab there might be some left over meteor rock and we don't want Clark near that _and _ Lex at the same time," Oliver said.

"The final one I came across is Reeve's Dam. The sight of his cloning base. I know it was basically washed away but there is still some underground facilities that are accessible from above ground."

"Clark, Lana and AC, I want you three to take that one. AC, you can go in underwater while the two super twins can sift through the rubble. Now, all this is, guys, is an observation run. You get in, you get out. You'll have the communication links back here to Watchtower where Chloe will be monitoring the video feed the cameras send back to her. You see it, she sees it and will let the rest of us know to head your way if something is less than kosher. You are, _under no circumstances,_ to go in without the rest of the team," Oliver voiced the final part while shooting daggers at Bart.

"You make one lousy mistake. . ." Bart mumbled.

"Let's suit up and we'll meet back here in ten minutes. Clark, you got your cape or do you need to borrow something?" Oliver asked just as the group began to disperse.

Clark looked around at the faces of his friends all trying to hide their mirth. "It was the closest thing I had at the moment," he ground out between his teeth.

"Come on. Bruce is about your size, I think he left some clothes here you can borrow," Oliver said, coming over and laying a friendly arm around Clark before leading him off and away from the Situation Room. "Guy has a strange obsession with black, though. . ."

"They are never going to let him live that one down," Chloe muttered, crossing the space and up the stairs to the War Room. From the staccato beats on the cement floor, she knew Lana was following her. Flipping switches and pressing buttons, Chloe began readying the room for the upcoming video feeds Watchtower would be receiving.

"So," Lana started on an inhale. "You and Clark? That's great, Chloe."

Chloe stood, facing her old friend. "Lana, you don't have to do this." Chloe handed Lana some communication devices and walked away, back down into the main Watchtower area.

Lana followed, keeping close behind her. "Do what, Chloe?"

"Act as if you're okay with me and Clark. I understand," Chloe answered, taking the ear pieces from Lana and laying them all in a row, making sure she grabbed enough. She handed one to Lana and had her settle it in her ear, hitting a few keys to activate the wireless camera and smiled when she saw herself on the screen. "Hopefully they all work this good."

"Chloe," Lana said heavily. Chloe turned back to her. "I am okay with you and Clark. I'm not as vapid as I pretended to be when I was eighteen. I realized how much seeing Clark and I together must have hurt you and yet, you continued to be our understanding, supportive, _neutral_ , happy best friend. I just want to be the same for you two."

"But you two were in love-"

"Please, Chloe," Lana scoffed. "Clark never loved me. Not the way he loves you. He trusts you and depends on you. Clark loved the _idea _ of me, especially when we were younger, but thats not enough now."

"Lana," Chloe reached out, hearing the evident pain in Lana's voice.

Lana bit her lip. She couldn't believe she was fixing to break down. God, she was such a baby! "Chloe, I am so happy for you. I really am. Some part of me, deep down, knew it would be you Clark would spend the rest of his life with. I was the one who kept holding on to him. And I'm sorry. Because of me-"

"No, stop that." Chloe wrapped her arms around her and pulled Lana close. She didn't know if it was the maternal instinct or the remembrance of her own tears shed over Clark, but she felt the unstoppable need to comfort. She thought of all the chances she could have taken with Clark, always running away, even now. "Not all of it was you," Chloe said, pulling back. "Some of it was, but not all."

Lana caught Chloe's teasing tone and laughed despite herself. The two women smiled at each other and then began to giggle.

"Lana, we need to find a new hobby!" Chloe exclaimed.

"We do! We really do!" Lana returned before they both dissolved into laughter again.

"You need to do what?" Asked the subject of most of their conversations. Chloe and Lana swung their gazes over to Clark, dressed in a tight black cable knit turtleneck on top of some kind of track pants. He's also been able to find some black Nikes to complete his outfit.

"You know, Clark," Chloe started. "I think I like the blue Tick suit better." He looked good, but black made him seem far too sinister, too imposing, too Kal. Clark lowered his brows with mick menace.

"Oh, yeah! Nice save, by the way, _Superman_ ," Lana said, blinking back her tears. If Chloe could do it, so could she. "I picked up a Planet on my way over and saw the headline. All three of you made the first page!"

"I had a lot of help," Clark replied, coming over to stand by Chloe, looking down at her sweetly.

"Lana's good to go, so let's get you wired up." Chloe stood on her tip toes and placed the link in his ear. Activating the camera, Chloe deemed it was working properly. "Okay, here's the deal with you two. Oliver has a special pair of glasses he wears that can show floor plans. I've already uploaded the plans to hospital to him. Victor has the same thing, except-"

"In his brain, basically," Clark supplied.

"Exactly, so he and Bart are good with the plans for Warehouse 15. I'm relying on you, Clark, to use your x-ray and lead AC and Lana where they need to go. Now, I'll be in the war room with all three schematics pulled up but there is only so much I can do from a little room hours and hours away."

As Chloe spoke, the room began to fill, each member dressed in his and her League uniform. "So I'm counting on all of you guys to watch each others backs and to not do anything stupid. The only good kind of hero is a breathing hero. Got it?"

"Got it, boss," Victor chirped.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Oliver dead-panned. Chloe passed out the remaining links, making sure she handed AC the waterproof one directly, and then powered them all up. Splitting the screen into sections, she gazed at seven identical squares of her up on the screen.

"Looks like we're ready to go," Chloe said to the group. She slipped her own link in.

"Meet back here when we're all done," Oliver ordered, switching on his voice distorter. "Arrow, online." Dinah parroted him as the two disappeared.

Bart and Victor were the next to leave. "Dude, why do I always get stuck with you? Carrying you is like carrying a mechanical bull. Impulse, online."

"Cyborg, online. Do you think I like being stuck with you either, fire-pants?"

Chloe rolled her eyes at the bickering she could still hear as they made their way to the back exit and out into the darkening night. "That leaves you three. Ready for a run? Or a swim?"

"I'm always ready for the great big blue. Or, brown, in this case. Aquaman, online. See you two later." AC made his way out the door, leaving just Chloe, Clark and Lana.

"Wait, how is he getting there?" Lana asked.

"Sewers," Clark and Chloe said.

"Gross," Lana returned, wrinkling her nose. "Do I have a code name?"

"Uh. . ." Chloe began. "How about. . . Lady Loxley?"

"Chloe, if you're going some Goldie Lockes correlation, I have to say you're a lit-"

"Not _Lockesley. Loxley. _ It is rumored to be Robin Hood's birthplace," Chloe spoke over Clark. When they both kept staring at her, Chloe continued. "Robin Hood. . . Stole from the rich to give to the poor. . . Prometheus. . ." Chloe gestured wildly to Lana. "Stole fire from the gods to give to the people. . . You know, think up your own code name, I can't be responsible for everything!"

"It's good! It's good, I like it," Lana hurried, smiling at Chloe's exasperation. "But how about Loxley for short?"

"Whatever you want," Chloe said. "Now, get going or AC really will beat you there."

"Loxley, online?" Lana spoke with a shrug of her shoulders.

Clark stepped up to Chloe. "Boy Scout, online." He leaned down and brushed his lips fleetingly against Chloe's before he and Lana were gone in a super-powered rush.

"Watchtower, online."

* * *

It amazing how Chloe could keep all their voices straight, but she could as she operated upstairs in the War Room.

Bart and Victor were the first to arrive at their target.

"Arrow was right," Victor intoned. "Place looks completely deserted."

"Where is Impulse?" Chloe asked.

"Finishing a perimeter check," Bart answered. "All clear."

"Be careful guys." Chloe watched the monitor as Bart and Victor, armed with a high-level security clearance badge Oliver handed to them so they could get in the building without tripping any alarms, prepared to enter the building.

"Arrow, Canary, what is your ETA?"

"Still about an hour out," Dinah growled. Chloe knew Oliver was pushing his bike as fast as he could without endangering himself or Dinah, but it looked as if Dinah was getting punchy like she always did when she didn't travel as fast as the others.

"Boy Scout, Loxley, any sight of Aquaman?"

"Not yet," Clark spoke, swinging his head around so Chloe could see the outline on a screen with a small 'BS' in the upper left hand corner.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Keep your tights on Superboy," AC gurgled. "Watchtower, ready and waiting for entrance from underwater." Chloe looked at the screen marked with a 'AQ', seeing AC's bobbing view of Reeve's Dam.

"Okay, Team 3 is all together. Go on in."

And so it went for the next four hours until Bart and Victor were the first back to Watchtower. Bart collapsed on the floor of the War Room and began snoring.

_"Impulse,"_Chloe hissed. Bart jumped up and ran for it, knowing when Chloe's patience was wearing thin. Gratefully, Victor slipping onto the stool beside her, took over command for Clark, Lana and AC, enabling Chloe to help their least super-powered pair.

Eyes and hands moved seamlessly, Victor and Chloe taking turns talking over each other to their assigned group. Chloe could hear the crushing of cement and rubble as Clark and Lana lifted and moved and waded through the mess that once was Reeve's Dam.

"Nothing here," Oliver groaned. Chloe looked quickly at a screen labeled 'GA'. He was right. The odd desk here and there or a bed, but nothing. No papers, no supplies, no Lex.

"Looks like another dead end. How are Boy Scout and Loxley doing?" Dinah asked.

Chloe looked over at the three screens Victor was monitoring. AC had finished his underwater search and had gone ashore. She opened her mouth to reply, but stopped when she saw all three screens were trained on something. A dark stain upon the cement floor.

"It's blood," she heard Clark mutter. "And it's fresh."

"How fresh?" Victor asked.

"Probably only a day or two," Lana answered.

"Loxley, do me a favor. Stand up and face east," Chloe ordered. "Boy Scout, you do the same except face west." She waited until Clark and Lana stood back to back. "Now, turn slowly so that I can get a clear picture of your surroundings."

Victor took over AC, directing him around the room for closer inspection and finally outside and down a hall, looking for the injured and possibly dead party.

"I looked up 911 records, no one has called within the last two or three days from that vicinity or come in to any neighboring hospitals with wounds that would cause a lot of bleeding," Bart supplied as he listened.

"Thanks, Impulse. I'm betting whoever it was didn't make it out alive," Chloe said.

Lana and Clark had completed the turns. "This building was way too clean except for that blood stain," Clark said. "It looks like it's been worked in recently. The dirt has been disturbed and I can see shoe print over in the corner."

"You're standing in the store room. According to the prints and Loxley's description, this is where Lex had all his clones and the equipment. Boy Scout, straight ahead of you is a door. I need you and Loxley to head over there. This is where Lex kept most if his meteor rock. Loxley, I want you to open the door and see if it's empty."

"Got it, Watchtower." Chloe watched as Lana broke the lock on the door and peeled it back. The room was dark and empty.

"Watchtower, I was wrong," Bart broke in behind her. Chloe turned around and looked at Bart. He handed her a single sheet with a transcripted call. "A call did come in the other day. Sounds like two boys called 911 and then were dispatched over to the police."

"Watchtower, what's going on? We're heading back to you directly," Oliver said.

"Sounds good, Arrow. Seems like the Super Twins have found something," Chloe replied, reading quickly down the police report.

"Looks like the two boys said they heard screaming coming from Reeve's Dam when they went out there to pop some wheelies on their bikes. When the deputy got there, there was nothing. Reported it as a prank call," Bart finished.

"Looks like he didn't look deep enough." Chloe turned back to the screen.

"Guys, this place is way too clean. It looks dirty, but it's not. Someone has been here and removed anything and everything that ever was here," AC radioed.

"All right, everybody," Chloe said. "Boy Scout, Loxley and Aquaman. Head on back to Watchtower."

Chloe pushed away and rubbed her eyes. Lifting them, she looked at the ashen faces of both Bart and Victor.

"Do you think he's-" Victor swallowed, not even able to finish his thought.

"Who knows what Lex is capable of," Chloe sighed.

* * *

Oliver and Dinah were the last two to make it back to Watchtower around three in the morning. They came dragging in, each covered in road dirt and grime, picking loose gravel out of their hair and clothes.

"First ones to leave and the last ones to return. I need a shower," Dinah groaned as she flopped onto the sofa next to AC. He made some sarcastic comment, causing Dinah to swat him before curling up to him.

Oliver, too, sat in one of the chairs. "Total bust."

"We just need to widen our net," Chloe said positively, standing over with Lana, each sipping coffee from matching Met U mugs. "At least we know he may still be in the state with the way Reeve's Dam was made under."

"I'll go over more possible locations tomorrow," Lana offered.

"Okay. You can come over to the loft tomorrow and we'll all help sift through them Except for those two," Oliver said, pointing to Clark who had changed back into his own street clothes and Chloe, her mug poised halfway to her mouth. "They have plans for the day. So, the rest of you, go home, get some sleep and I'll see you all at the loft sometime in the afternoon."

"Oliver, I'm not sure I can make it," Dinah told him. "I'm running late on a deadline for my column-"

"It's okay, Dinah. Come over whenever you can," Oliver relented.

"Thanks, Ollie. It was nice to meet you, Lana." Her and AC strolled out, hand in hand.

"You two going to crash here?" Chloe asked Bart and Victor.

"Yeah. Vic is going to sort through the video feed we got tonight and I'm going to help," Bart answered, stretching.

"All right. We'll let's get to work then," Chloe ordered, gulping down the rest of her coffee.

"I don't think so," Clark interrupted, grabbing Chloe by the waist before she could charge up the stairs with Victor and Bart. Chloe looked at him with raised eyebrows.

_"You don't think so?"_

"You hardly got any sleep last night and were up _way _before me this morning. We're going home and going to bed. You heard Oliver, we have plans for tomorrow," Clark explained, pulling her gently back to his side.

"You were also trapped in an elevator shaft day before yesterday, too. Sounds like Clark is right, Chloe." Lana reached out and took Chloe's hand and squeezed it.

"Et tu, Lana?" Chloe gasped playfully.

"Chloe," Clark said, taking her other hand and examining the palm closely. "You took off your bandages."

"I couldn't stand them anymore. Most of the stitches have dissolved anyway," Chloe told him as she flexed her hand underneath his gaze. Clark kissed the heel of her hand before lowering it, keeping it enveloped in his own between them.

Lana swallowed and then yawned deeply. "Well, I would offer to stay and help but I think I'm suffering jet lag."

"Where are you staying?" Clark asked, remembering she still stood among them.

"Don't know yet. I'll find a place, though."

"Here," Clark fished inside his pocket for his key ring and then handed it over to Lana. "Use the Talon. I'm staying in town with Chloe at the loft so you'll have the place to yourself."

"Thanks, Clark. I appreciate it. Guess I'll see all of you later this afternoon." With a wave, Lana shot out of Watchtower.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing _Lana_ do _that," _Chloe commented. "You want a ride?" Chloe asked Oliver.

"Please," Oliver rubbed at his own eyes. "I'm not up to driving anymore tonight, even if it just two blocks over."

"Where are you going?" Clark asked, knowing the loft was at least a ten minute drive from here.

"Lois'."

"How is that going?" Chloe asked after calling out a good-bye to Victor and Bart. She walked along between Oliver and Clark, her hand still laced casually within Clark's, swinging slightly between them.

"It's. . . Weird. She wants to talk. A lot. I think she's still getting used to the whole 'Honey, I made it home alive' thing. But, she's worth it."

"The good ones usually are," Clark said. Oliver glanced over to find Clark and Chloe looking at each other, Clark smiling down at her and Chloe blinking rapidly. Clark wrapped an arm around her shoulders, as he'd done hours before, Chloe laying her cheek on his chest

"Glad you learned something while you were away," Oliver muttered.

"I'm sorry about Lana, Clark," Chloe apologized after they'd dropped Oliver off at Lois' downtown apartment.

"Why didn't you tell me, Chlo?" Clark asked, steering the SUV through the almost quiet streets of Metropolis.

"About what? That she was coming in to help or that she's no longer a walking Kryptonite sponge?"

"Both."

"First, I lost my nerve. Oliver didn't call her in until just a couple of hours before the meeting, so I wasn't even sure she was coming, really, until right before she showed up. And second, she asked me not to," Chloe told him.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"The day you went to see your mom. She was the friend I was meeting for coffee."

"How long has she been able to neutralize the Kryptonite?"

"They worked out the final kinks with the suit about two years after you left."

"Around the time she stepped down and named you as the CEO of Isis."

"Yes."

"What has she been doing since then?"

"Lots of things. Lex had left all his business holdings and the mansion to Tess, but all of his personal assets went to Lana, with the exception of the off-shore bank accounts and bonds he lived on after he was in Russia. Lana's a billionaire. She goes around the world on relief efforts and just where she thinks she's needed. Lately, she's been spending a lot of time in Star City," Chloe filled him in.

"Why did she not want you to tell me about her?"

Chloe breathed in deeply. "Clark, that is something you need to ask her about."

"Chloe, we've never talked about Lana and I, but I want you to know, she's not the one-"

"Clark," Chloe interrupted. "I would love nothing more than to let you finish your declaration right now, but you and I both know that there are some things we need to talk about. So, why don't we table that until later?" She couldn't stomach to hear what he was going to say knowing later today would change everything for them, knowing he may not feel the same after he learned of her deception.

Silence filled the car and Clark bit his tongue. He pulled the car over onto the shoulder and shifted into park. Turning in his seat, he looked at Chloe across the seat from him. Her eyes were wide and the moonlight turned her hair a silvery color.

"Clark-"

"No. What I want to say, I'm saying now. I know you and I have a lot to talk about and I understand you wanting to wait until the right time. But, right now, I have something I want to say to you," Clark blustered at her. He waited, watching to see if she would interrupt him again. Chloe pressed her lips together and breathed heavily through her nose.

"I wished you had told me about Lana, but not for the reasons you would think. I still care about Lana. I always will, just as you will always care about Jimmy or Oliver. I want to know she's okay and safe and healthy. But that's it. It wasn't Lana I spent eight years thinking about. It was the girl I left behind. The girl who has, never once, left my side until I forced her from it. _Us,_is what I want. I'm not going to lie to you and say it's what I've _always _wanted, but it's what I've wanted for a _long _time. I think I've wanted you since you told me I was amazing that day in the Yukon. I _know _I've wanted you since we kissed in the Daily Planet. I just got side-tracked."

"Clark," Chloe began with tears in her eyes. "There is so much I want to tell you, that I _need _to tell you-"

"And that's okay. I can wait until you're ready. You've waited a long time for me, I can do the same. But with Lana today, I had to let you know it's over for me and her. It was over long before she put that suit on." Clark reached over and did what he'd wanted to do in Watchtower. Pulling Chloe none too gently across to him, he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that sent fire chasing down his spine. He smiled against Chloe's mouth as she kissed him back just as fiercely. Chloe dug her fingers into his thigh as Clark lost his own deep inside her hair, trapping her against him.

They kissed until Clark felt the urgency leave his system, the need to show her just what he was feeling inside. Gentling and finally pulling away, Clark opened his eyes, meeting Chloe's shining hazel ones. She blinked slowly, as if coming out of a trance. She smiled at him, biting her bottom lip in the process. Clark kissed her once more, on the tip of her nose, before settling back into the driver seat and driving the rest of the way to the loft.

"See you in the morning?" Clark asked, standing again outside the closed door to the room Chloe was sharing with the boys. Everyone had been in bed when they came quietly in, Allistor keeping vigil by the elevator while Krenshaw reclined in the LA-Z-BOY, catching some sleep.

Chloe nodded. She still hadn't regained the use of her tongue since Clark kissed her in the car.

"Good night." Clark kissed her again. It was a quick brush but it still managed to send Chloe's head spinning.

* * *

Four hours later, at 7:45, Clark rolled over in bed. With a slow smile, he recalled the night before. He and Chloe were on the right track, full speed ahead. Feeling it in his bones, he knew today would bring answers and finally the end of something old and the beginning of something new. Clark threw back his covers and hopped out of the bed. He pulled on some jeans over his boxers and grabbed a shirt off the pile on the floor. Sniffing, Clark deemed it would do until he could get to the Talon and pick up some other clothes. He tugged it over his head and left the room.

"Morning, Mom," he said when he spied his mother and Krenshaw, sipping coffee together at the bar.

"Good morning! When did you and Chloe get in?"

"Around 3:30," Clark answered, accepting the cup Martha handed to him. "Thank you."

"Was the meeting productive?"

"Kind of. We'll know more later today. Lana is coming by and Oliver and the rest of the gang are going to help her go over some other locations we need to check," Clark told her vaguely, not sure just how much Krenshaw knew of his boss' late-night extracurriculars.

"Lana?" Martha asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Oliver and Chloe called her in to help with the search."

"But, I thought-"

"She can't do that anymore. She told me she neutralizes it."

"So, you can get close to her without-"

Clark recognized the look in his mother's eyes. It matched the same one Chloe had watched him with the night before. "Don't worry, Mom," Clark started. He was a little hurt his mother thought him that fickle, given what he'd told he when he returned from training. Although, Clark could understand. It _was _Lana. "She doesn't fit into my life any longer."

Martha's face relaxed into a smile. "You want some breakfast?"

"Sounds good. What time did the boys go to bed?" Clark asked.

"Around nine. Why?"

"I'll be right back," Clark said as he took off down the hall. He stopped at the door and knocked softy. When there was no answer, Clark opened the door slowly. Peeking in, he saw Chloe curled up in a recliner in the corner as Connor, Kaid and Shelby sprawled on top of the big mattress. Shelby lifted his head and gave a sharp _yip! _accompanied with a furious wagging of tail. The boys stirred until finally Kaid opened his eyes. He blinked them sleepily, drawing his brows down as he looked at Clark.

"Hey," Clark said softly, not wanting to wake Chloe. "Me and Aunt Martha are going to have breakfast. You want to come?"

Connor, too, had woken and was regarding Clark in the doorway. The boys looked at their mom, still sound asleep in the chair. Connor rolled over and looked at Kaid.

"Remember what mom said yesterday," he whispered quietly to his twin. They both sat up and gazed back at Clark.

"Okay," Kaid answered.

"All right. Do you need any help or anything?" Clark didn't know exactly what to do, but he remembered his mom laying out his clothes when he was this age.

"No, we got it," Connor told him.

"We'll be in the living room. Come on, Shelb, let's go outside." He patted his thigh and the dog flew off the bed.

"Can Shelby come?" Connor asked, stretching his long arms.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Clark said, wondering where they were going to find a place to eat with a dog.

"Yes!" Both Connor and Kaid said as they jumped out of bed. Clark smiled and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Shelby followed him as he returned to the kitchen.

"We're taking Connor, Kaid and Shelby, it seems, to breakfast. Krenshaw, you know any places you can take a dog to eat?" Clark asked the older man.

"There's a place off the Turtle Creek Park. Would you like me to go with you?"

"No, I want someone to stay with Chloe, if you don't mind, but thanks," Clark answered.

"No problem. I'll radio Allistor and he can come and cover Ms. Sullivan until we return." Krenshaw turned on his heel and started speaking into the lapel mic, always present on his expensive suit jacket.

Moments later, two little boys came running down the hall dressed in jeans and matching winter flannel shirts. Clark cocked his head to the side, watching them. There was something slightly familiar about them as they rolled on the floor with Shelby, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Shaking his head, he clapped his hands, bringing the room to attention.

"All right, guys. You ready to go?"

"Yeah!" They answered, pumping fists into the air.

"I'm going to go tell your mom where we're going and then we'll leave." Clark ruffled their hair as he walked by them and back into the Chloe's room. She was still curled up in the recliner, her sons movements not waking her. Scooping her up into his arms, Clark carried her over to the bed. She murmured something as he kneeled upon the bed and placed her gently down.

"Chloe? Chloe," Clark said softly, but with insistence. "Mom and I are taking the boys and Shelby to breakfast, okay? Krenshaw is coming and Allistor is going to be up here with you? Do you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah. The boys are with you," she answered groggily, not even opening her eyes.

"We'll be back later."

Chloe settled down into the pillows. Clark shut off the lights and turned to look at her one last time before her left.

"I know you'll love them," Chloe murmured in her sleep as he pulled the door to.

Clark stood with his hand on the door, peering in at her. "I'm sure I will."

* * *

"So, what do you guys want to do today?" Clark asked. They'd returned from breakfast, which had been an interesting adventure. Connor and Kaid were so full of energy. The restaurant Krenshaw led them to was a place out on Turtle Creek Lake, right on the water. The manager, at first, had balked at allowing Shelby to sit with them out on the deck, but when he caught sight of Senator Kent standing just behind, he couldn't seat them fast enough. After breakfast, Clark took Shelby, Connor and Kaid over to the park and the boys and Shelby ran and wrestled and screamed. Clark joined them, being careful to always let the twins topple him to the ground. When the boys had worked up a good sweat in the morning sun and their winter coats, the group trooped home where the boys collapsed onto the sofa. It was around nine-thirty and Chloe was getting dressed.

Connor and Kaid turned their heads to look at him. They'd been taking turns arm wrestling each other, Connor winning most turns.

"You mean, we get to pick?" Kaid asked.

"Of course! Anything you want to do."

The boys looked at each other, communicating silently. Connor spoke for the both of them. "We want to ride our horses."

"Dalma and Mancha?"

"Guys," Chloe said as she walked into the room, dressed again in some borrowed jeans and a soft looking blue long-john shirt. "Why don't we stick close to the city?"

"But, Mom-" Kaid began.

"Young man," Chloe warned. Kaid sat back, trying hard not to pout.

"Chloe, I don't mind," Clark told her quietly as he gained his feet, coming to stand beside her. "Unless you had something else planned. . ."

"Clark, that's a really long drive just to go horseback riding. Are you sure?"

"I did say we could do whatever they wanted," Clark told her sheepishly.

Chloe made a face, a face Clark made whenever Chloe humored Lois. She faced Connor and Kaid, who were looking at her with their best puppy dog eyes, another inherited trait to wheedle their way out of their mother. "If it's okay with Clark, then it's okay with me."

"Yes!" Connor and Kaid high-fived each other.

Martha came into the room, dressed in her own casual way with a coat over her arm.

"And what are you doing today?" Chloe asked.

"I thought that since Oliver's friends will be here later, I'd make myself scarce. It's been awhile since I was in Metropolis for longer than five minutes and I want to re-discover it again. Krenshaw is going to come with me."

Chloe laughed at the way Clark's eyebrows met. With a knowing smile, Chloe said, "You two have a good time."

"Oh, we will," Martha replied, throwing a smile back to Krenshaw. "I heard someone is going horseback riding?"

Connor and Kaid nodded excitedly.

"What time will you be back?" Martha asked. She was going to be keeping an eye on the boys while their parents had their night out.

"I'll call you when we're headed back," Chloe told her.

"Okay. Well, have fun!" Martha exclaimed, taking her time to hug each one of them. She saved Chloe for last and squeezed her a little tighter. "Good luck," she whispered in the younger woman's ear.

"Thanks," Chloe whispered back. "You, too." Martha pulled back with wide eyes and then blushed. With a shrug of her shoulders, Martha allowed Krenshaw to take her arm and escort her out of the loft.

"Is that what I think it is?" Clark finally asked Chloe when Martha and Krenshaw were gone.

Chloe glanced over at him. "I wouldn't worry, Clark. Krenshaw is a very responsible man."

"Did my mother," Clark cleared his throat. "Just leave on a _date?"_

"I doubt it's a date, Clark. I think her and Krenshaw get along and maybe she wants to get to know him better. Don't worry. Once you go Kent, you never go back."

Clark let his eyes follow her as she withdrew her coat from the coat closet and slipped into it. Chloe caught him watching her and smiled.

"Boys? Do you already have your coats on?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Let's go then," Clark said. Clark reached over and took Kaid's hand and walked over to the elevator door. Chloe gripped Connor's and all four waited as the elevator came up to meet them. With a deep breath, Chloe stepped in as Clark held the door open for all of them. Once inside, Clark hit the G button and it began to groan as it made it's way down. With Connor and Kaid on either side of them, attached at the hands, Clark felt Chloe slip her free hand into his.

* * *

He rubbed his eyes wearily. With a deep sigh, he raised the binoculars back to his face, keeping them trained on the Clocktower Loft situated on the corner of Metropolis Avenue and Torrance Drive. He'd been in this same spot, huddled in the corner of the adjacent rooftop all damn night. In the cold. His hands were numb, his feet felt like blocks of ice and his nose dripped constantly. Did _he _care? Hell, no! Just as long _he _got what _he _wanted.

"Damn his skinny, bald ass," Doug growled, turning his back to the wind that had started to kick up with the clouds moving in from the north. Taking his gaze away from the loft, Doug glanced briefly up at the wall of clouds building behind the Daily Planet. In November, rain clouds hanging over Kansas were rare occurrences, but there they were, broiling up and around like the air from a cartoon bull's snort. Doug pulled up his collar, Elvis-style, and went back to watching the building.

What was so special about this Sullivan dame anyway? Sure, she was cute if you liked short, bossy and driven types. He was more of a brunette man himself. He had asked her out once, when she'd seemed lonely and sad. He was looking for an easy lay. His mind put two and two together and went, _cha-ching! _

Doug Weimar was not a man used to rejection. Even from a high and mighty CEO of a multi-million dollar company. So he was just a security guard, but he was ruggedly handsome and, as he often told the girls casually, "heir to the second largest Whiskey dynasty in the country."

"You've never heard of it?" Doug crowed aloud, as if the fire escape ladder to his left was a beautiful woman he was putting the moves on. "Bartender! Two fingers of Weimar's Wild Turkey for the lady!" They were putty, drunk putty, in his hands.

After Chloe shot him down, he'd found himself in a downward spiral with the female population. His dry spell only lasted a couple of months, but it still rubbed his boots the wrong way when he remembered the polite but disinterested refusal. As it turned out, it had worked to his advantage that she turned him down. If he'd used her and tossed her out with the next morning's garbage, she would have had him fired in two shakes. How would he have been any help to Lex then?

"I'm giving you another chance, Doug," Lex had said.

"Another chance-"

"Another chance to prove yourself. It seems we were lucky Chloe didn't die in the explosion."

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to watch her. Let me know the moment Clark Kent leaves her side."

"With all due respect, Luthor, Chloe will now have Queen Industries top security tailing her at all times. You really think the only thing standing in your way of getting to Chloe is some hayseed turned reporter?"

Lex smiled as he steepled his fingers above the makeshift desk he sat behind. "You don't know Clark Kent as I do. He always has a tendency to cause even the best laid plans to go awry. Especially when Chloe Sullivan is concerned." Lex's jaw twitched as he recalled their younger years together. "Is everything in place?"

"Yes. I finished a few minutes before they arrived back home."

"Good, good. Call me the moment she's without him. We'll make our move then."

"Lex, why is she so important? We have everything we need-"

"I've told you, Doug," Lex interrupted with barely concealed frustration. "Without the blue meteor rock bracelet we have no way of controlling the outcome."

"But Mickler didn't find it when-"

"I know he didn't find it!" Lex yelled, jumping out of his chair. "Like I've explained before, we _need_ that bracelet. It is _imperative_that we find it." Lex came around the corner of the desk. With well played affection, Lex gripped Doug's shoulders. "We cannot go forward without that one piece. But I believe I may have found a solution. We may not need the meteor rock after all, but we must have Chloe Sullivan in order to rule it out."

He would not tell Lex he'd missed the first opportunity because he was sleeping on the job. He was jarred awake by the sound car horns blaring to see this Clark Kent, his mother the Senator and Chloe's children returning to the loft without Chloe in their midst. When would he get another chance like that?

Doug wiped his nose on his sleeve. This woman was beginning to be a real pain in his ass. He spied movement. Senator Kent and Oliver Queen's top security guard strolled out of the ornate front doors. Moments later, a dark red Chevy SUV pulled out of the underground parking level. Pressing the binoculars deeper around his eyes, he recognized Chloe's car. She sat in the passenger seat with Clark Kent behind the wheel, the twins and the family dog in the very back. Doug cursed. Unstrapping the cell from his belt loop, he hit the speed dial button and brought it to his ear.

"She alone?" Lex answered without preamble.

"No. Clark Kent just drove them all out, heading toward FM 94. Senator Kent walked out with Arthur Krenshaw, Queen's top security guard."

"Never mind Martha Kent. She's not important. Let me know when they come back to the loft. I doubt the farm house is livable yet, so she must return at some point to the loft."

"Sure thing." Doug disconnected the call.

He'd worked for Lex for years, but that had been when he was the CEO of Luthorcorp. He'd only needed Doug as brawn then, not as brain, too. Now with Mickler dead, killed by one of the specimens, it was just Lex and Doug. After the monster had torn the man to shreds, his blood-thirst quieted, both Lex and Doug knew there was no way to control them without the meteor rock as they'd hoped. They could not proceed without that one special ingredient. Fleeing from Reeve's Dam in the cover of darkness after they'd thrown Mickler into the churning river, Lex told him to get Chloe Sullivan or die trying.

"We have to abort the project Lex. It's too unstable!" Doug hissed, fearing the thing behind them would overhear and stop purring in contentment.

"Too much is riding on this! We're both dead men if we don't find a way to fix this. I promised Black Skye a weapon and I'm not about give up yet."

"But Mickler-"

"He knew the risks when he signed on," Lex said as he opened the door to Doug's F350 and waiting for the specimen to alight into the vehicle. Neither Doug nor Lex made eye contact with it. "As did you."

"Well, excuse me if I'm having second thoughts after watching a man get disemboweled," Doug spat, slamming the door.

The memory caused his hands to shake and Doug needed a drink bad. Packing up, he decided to go sit in the nearest bar, to warm his outsides and insides. He knew time was running short, their timetable running out.

Somehow he had to get his hands on Chloe. Lex was too caught up with his work with the specimens and putting out feelers for another scientist. It was up to Doug to solve the Sullivan problem. He still didn't see how some Daily Planet reporter could put such a kink in his plans. Well, Lex was just going to have to trust him. Clark Kent may be big and tall, but there were ways to get around that. When the little group returned, Clark Kent or no, Doug would make his move.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

By the time Clark, Chloe and the twins reached Smallville, the clouds edging around the north of Metropolis, thick as molasses and the color of dirty, white socks, had chased across the sky and were completely obscuring the sun.

"Are we in for some storms?" Clark asked.

"When I watched the weather this morning the forecast was for sunny skies but it seems Mr. Weatherman was wrong. Again," Chloe answered, peering out her window at the angry looking clouds building behind them. Trees off and away from the road were beginning to blow in the wind kicking up.

"We can still go riding, can't we, Clark?" Connor asked frantically from the backseat.

Clark looked over at Chloe, who nodded. "Sure thing, buddy. I don't smell rain just yet."

"You can _smell _rain?" Kaid said incredulously.

"Well, yeah. Has your Mom not taught you how to smell rain yet?" Clark made a _tsking _noise as he eyed Chloe with disappointment. "It's the best smell in the world, guys. It's like grass and spring and time all mixed together. Even in the dead of winter."

"But it's not winter yet," Connor replied.

"No, it's not winter yet. But we're getting close. It'll be nice to see a snowfall this year," Clark said softly.

"I'm sure," Chloe snorted. "Because you were surrounded by palm trees and beach balls for so long."

"It'll be nice to _share_ it with someone again," Clark replied, shooting Chloe his signature grin. Clark turned the wheel, maneuvering the SUV down the Kent Farm driveway. Clark had put the house back together, for the most part, after Martha and AC took Chloe and the boys into Metropolis. All it needed was some coats of paint, some new furniture and a few more curtains and it would be ready for occupants.

"Mom, when can we come home?" Kaid voiced from behind Chloe's seat.

"In a couple of days, I promise," Chloe told him as Clark parked beside the barn. Shelby, who'd been remembered at the last second and stashed in the back before leaving the loft, gave an excited bark when he saw his roaming grounds.

Connor and Kaid scampered out and down onto the hard, cold ground. Before Chloe could stop him, Shelby bounded up and over the backseat, clawing her expensive leather seats as he, too, exited the vehicle. Clark and Chloe were the last to disembark, following behind Connor and Kaid as they raced into the barn. The boys ducked between stall posts and began cooing to their horses. Odysseus, the grand blonde horse, stood looking haughtily at the commotion to his side. He did, however, let out an almost excited _ninny _when Chloe approached his stall.

"Hi, big fella," Chloe said, stroking his mane.

Ten minutes later, with the help of Clark and Chloe, Dalma and Mancha were saddled and ready to go. The boys scrambled up into the saddles and pranced the horses out of the barn. Connor pulled up short, looking behind him at his mother and Clark walking slowly behind them.

"You're not going to ride, Mom?"

"Clark doesn't have a horse, sweetie, so I thought I'd keep him company. Is that okay?" Chloe responded, stepping over to the horse to look up at her son.

"But," Kaid began. "We always ride together."

"Kaid, it would only be-"

"Chloe, why don't you ride?" Clark looked behind him. He wouldn't call himself a horse whisperer, but he'd spent enough time around them growing up to read the anxiousness in the way Odysseus stamped the ground in his stall. "I'll run over to Hubbard's and see if I can borrow Chestnut or something."

"Marcus had to put Chestnut down a few years ago," Chloe told him. "He's got a few horses now but they're all cutting horses. He only uses them to round up his cattle for branding or driving."

"The boys want you to go with them," Clark said. "Don't worry about me. I'll keep up."

"Why don't you ride with Mom?" Chloe glanced over at Connor. "Ollie rode with us one time like that."

Clark looked behind him at the mammoth animal. The thought of a woman as little as Chloe clambering up on him had to be a funny sight. "You think he'd be okay with that?" Clark asked Chloe.

"Odysseus loves people, Clark. He just doesn't want to show it," Chloe said with a smile. "That's a good idea, Connor."

As if Connor had solved a national crisis, he nodded and pulled on the reins in a seasoned manner, guiding Mancha into a trot and out of the barn.

"Don't go too far without us!" Chloe called after him.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Not wanting to spook the horse, Clark allowed Chloe to saddle him and lead him out of his stall. Odysseus tossed his head and high-stepped, showing his eagerness to stretch his legs.

"Need any help?" Clark asked, very intrigued as to how Chloe would lift herself up onto this horse where the stirrups only hung right beneath her hip.

"You're wondering how I usually do this, aren't you?"

"Actually, I am." Clark stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.

Settling her features into an expression of smugness, Chloe patted Odysseus on the side and the horse took two steps sideways. With a soft affirmation, Chloe walked in front of the horse over to his other side. Placing one booted foot on the middle fence rung, Chloe grabbed the saddle horn and pulled upward. With fluid grace, she swung her left leg up and over the stationary horse and slid into the saddle. Once she was seated, Odysseus moved away from the fence.

"We've had lots of practice over the years," Chloe said with a wry grin.

"Impressive, Chloe. Especially since the last time I saw you climb into a saddle you used me as a ladder." Clark walked over to the horse and rubbed Odysseus' neck gently. "He won't buck when I try to get on, will he?"

"No. Unless he knows your nervous, then you'll make him nervous. There is a reason why Oliver only came along once when I took the boys riding. Front or back?" Chloe asked.

"Back," Clark answered. Chloe scooted far up in the saddle and leaned forward, leaving as much space for Clark as she could. With a deep breath, Clark placed his own boot in the stirrup and quickly pulled himself up and over. He slid down in the saddle, his butt resting right against the back slope. "Scoot back."

Clark had ridden like this once before with Lana. They'd been eighteen and at the tail end of their relationship. In one last ditch effort to save what he'd sacrificed his father for, Clark suggested they go riding. Lana had spent the entire time treating him as her cousin instead of her boyfriend, holding her slender form away from him and shaking her head, her thick ponytail slapping him continually in the face. For a girl who badgered him constantly about physical intimacy, she sure hadn't given him signals she wanted any. Chloe, however, shuffled backward until she felt Clark right up against her, relaxing into his body as he framed her thighs with his. This was much more enjoyable than the last time he went riding with a woman. Handing him the reins, Chloe reclined fully against him, allowing him to take control of Odysseus.

Pressing a quick kiss to her temple, Clark clicked his tongue and pulled upward, guiding Odysseus out in the biting November air. Chloe placed her feet on top of Clark's in stirrups, ensuring she didn't slip around as they both moved easily with the horse's rhythm. Emerging from the barn, Clark saw Connor and Kaid jogging their horses in circles around one another.

"We going anywhere special?" Chloe asked.

"Can we ride over to Godbee's Meadow?" Kaid suggested.

Chloe said they could and the boys took off. Shelby trotted along in between the two groups, careful to stay away from clomping hooves. Taking the back way, the horses were led along a narrow path, winding around the Kent Farm and off until they pulled up beside the river. Connor and Kaid chattered happily while Clark and Chloe rode in companionable silence. The ground began to rise in a slow, sloping hill.

"You remember when you and me and Pete used to come out here and shoot off leftover fireworks from the fourth of July?" Clark asked softly in Chloe's ear.

"I loved those nights," Chloe replied. "I remember the first time you two brought me out here."

"You mean, that time when you started screaming like a mad woman about fire and ran off without shoes on, resulting in about a billion stickers Pete and I had to dig out of your feet?"

"I had never seen real fireworks before! How was I supposed to know the sparks would burn out before they reached the ground?!" Chloe exclaimed in a laugh. "You remember my twenty-first birthday?"

Clark snorted. "You and Lois got so drunk I can't believe you two didn't fall into the campfire before I found you."

"Lois spent the night blissfully passed out on your couch and I spent the night facedown on the cold tile of the bathroom floor. I haven't touched cranberry juice or vodka since."

"At least you weren't trapped in Lois' body-"

"Or possessed by a sixteenth century witch's helper with a really bad taste for dominatrix apparel," Chloe reminded.

"I think that was my favorite one of your birthday parties, Chloe," Clark said, smiling at the back of her head. "Except for the part where you chained me up and then scratched the hell out of me."

"How did we ever survive an adolescence in Smallville, Clark?"

"I had really good friends, one in particular that helped me out a lot."

They crested the hill and looked down at Godbee's Meadow. "This has always been one of my favorite places," Chloe spoke quietly.

"You said once the wildflowers made you feel like you were Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz before they got to the Emerald City."

"When did I ever tell you that?" Chloe questioned.

Clark cleared his throat. "It was the day after Justin Gaines attacked you in the barn."

"That was a long time ago," Chloe replied. Odysseus plodded down the downward side of the hill. Chloe watched Connor and Kaid jump off their own horses and tie the reins haphazardly around a tree trunk. From out of someone's pocket, came a scruffy tennis ball. Shelby launched up on his hind legs, trying to snatch the ball from Kaid's hand. The boys began tossing the ball between themselves, Shelby barking and running crazily back and forth as the ball flew over his head.

"I took you to the Talon and then we went for a walk and ended up here," Clark said as he reined the horse in, halting Odysseus a few paces from Dalma and Mancha. He slid off Odysseus and turned to Chloe, holding up his arms to help her down.

"And just how do you expect me to get back up here after I get down?" Chloe asked as she swung her right leg over. Clark wrapped his hands around Chloe's waist and lifted her off the horse before setting her back on the ground.

"I'm always available as a ladder," Clark answered. He turned, taking her hand in his as he walked them closer to where Connor and Kaid were still playing with Shelby. They abandoned the ball and were now zig-zagging (at human speed, to Chloe's relief) around the meadow, Shelby doing a pretty good job of keeping up with them.

"We walked around this meadow about twelve times," Chloe picked up Clark's thread of thought. "You held my hand the whole time. I felt so self-conscious because my palm was getting sweaty and your palm felt as dry as hay."

Clark laughed. "I was sweating on the inside. You were the first girl I had held hands with," he admitted.

"Really?" Chloe looked at him suspiciously.

"Well, the first I girl I wasn't _made _to hold hands with," Clark told her with a grin.

Chloe smiled and turned her eyes back to watch Connor and Kaid. "I think that's why I love this meadow," Chloe began. She looked back at him. "You made me feel really special that day, Clark. Like I was the only one you saw."

Clark opened his mouth, only to hear the words, _"Clark, think fast!"_ come flying in his direction. Yanking his head to the side, Clark reached up and snatched the tennis ball zooming right at his face. Connor and Kaid, picking up the playful attitude from this morning, taunted him. For the next hour, under the overcast sky, they all took turns playing Keep Away from each other. Finally, when the wind was howling and the skies were beginning to churn, Chloe suggested they high-tail it on back to the house.

"Good. I'm hungry, Mom," Kaid said, leaning against Chloe's side as he caught his breath.

Clark looked at his watch. It was almost one-thirty in the afternoon. The boys hadn't eaten since eight-thirty that morning. "Yeah, Mom," Clark echoed. "What's for lunch?"

"Can we stop at Vick's for Cowboy Burgers? _Please_, Mom?" Connor begged.

"Yeah! Can we, Mom, please? Please?" Kaid joined.

"Oh, fine, fine, fine!" Chloe gave in readily. "Vick's it is. But Shelby has to stay outside this time. Vick didn't like it when he found Shelby had eaten up all his beef jerky. Let's get there before we get soaked."

Connor and Kaid high-fived again and waited patiently for Clark to go over and heft them both up onto their assigned horses. Connor and Kaid trotted off, the low and flat land of the Kansas prairie making it easy to keep an eye on them. Clark framed Chloe's waist and lifted her up on the saddle before pulling himself up, settling himself behind her as before.

"What is this Vick's they're talking about?" Clark asked Chloe as he nudged Odysseus into motion, following Connor and Kaid.

"Vick's Git-N-Go. It's a dinky little gas station off of Farmer's Bend. Lana and I found it one day when we were driving back from a day in Granville. I had this heinous craving for Funyuns and strawberry ice cream, so we stopped there."

Clark licked his lips. "Mmmmm. Funyuns and strawberry ice cream is the best combination in the world! I wasn't aware you liked it, Chloe."

Chloe stiffened momentarily. She'd forgotten those were two of Clark's favorite junk foods. Being pregnant with his sons, she hadn't been surprised at the time when she got the urge for the, up until then, disgusting pairing. "I thought maybe those alien tastebuds might be on to something so I gave it a try. Lana was brave enough to try one of the burgers and said it was the best she'd ever had. Later, when I would take the boys riding, we would stop in here for a burger before going home. See, there it is."

Chloe pointed and Clark followed her finger. They were about to cross over the county line and on the corner of a dusty intersection, was a run down little hut of a building.

"How does he get enough business the stay open?"

"So it's not the Hilton of gas stations, but he's a really nice man."

"Chloe," Clark began, regarding the warped wood and buckled posts. "This is not even a Motel 6. I can see why people _Git-N-Go."_

Chloe elbowed him gently in the ribs before slipping off Odysseus. Feeling like he'd stepped back in time, Clark tied Odysseus to the hitching rail on the west side of the building, next to Dalma and Mancha. He ordered Shelby to stay, who laid down obediently against the wall with a sad whine.

"I'll bring you some fries. Will that make it better?" Clark ruffled the dog's ears before rounding the corner and entering the building. It smelled of cigarette smoke, old magazines and lots of grease. His sensitive nostrils flared and he had to fight to keep his stomach from rolling over.

"Clark, you okay?" Chloe asked when he joined her in line, laying a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, just all the smells. They're not mixing well together."

"You want to wait for us outside? We have to eat out there anyway since there are no tables in here," Chloe told him.

"Sure. I'll take the gasoline over this. Here," Clark dug out his wallet.

"Clark, I got it-"

Clark pressed his bank card into her palm. "Get an extra older of fries for Shelby." And then Clark left, holding his head.

Chloe took a step forward in the line, now only waiting behind four people. She kept a careful watch on Connor and Kaid, who were in the magazine section, their noses already stuck between the pages of a Warrior Angel comic book.

"Chloe?" She turned at the sound of her name.

A tall, athletic woman standing behind her had spoken and was smiling at her brightly.

"Chloe Sullivan?" The woman asked again.

"The one and only," Chloe trailed off, trying to place to woman standing behind her.

"Sorry," the woman apologized sweetly. "We didn't exactly run in the same circles in high school, what with you being most likely to succeed and me being most likely to become a townie," The woman laughed at her own joke, extending her hand. Chloe took it and shook it with friendliness. "Brenda Douglas. Or Williams, then. Brenda Williams."

"I remember the name-"

"But not the face, right?" Again the woman laughed. "I was kinda quiet and shy. Kept to myself a lot. I had a few classes with you over the years. We worked on the yearbook staff together our senior year."

"You had to walk around with that stupid little clipboard and ask what all the exciting plans were for the soon-to-be newest Smallville High Alumni! How are you?" Chloe's smile was genuine when she gave it this time.

"Good. Just passing through with the husband and the kids on the way back to Nebraska," Brenda pointed out the window to a man matching her height and build, pumping gas and talking to Clark. "He and Clark played football together in high school and then had some classes at CKU Freshmen year."

"Stephen Douglas is your husband?"

"That's the one. We began dating after I was his math tutor Sophomore year at CKU."

"That's great. How many kids do you have?" Chloe asked, enjoying the shallowness of their conversation.

"Three and one on the way," Brenda answered with pride.

"Congratulations! You'll have your hands full, won't you?"

"You should know!" Brenda returned merrily, sliding her eyes over to Connor and Kaid. "I always knew you and Clark Kent were more than 'Best Buds'! I remember how the gossip lines hummed about the three of you! Always wondering who Clark would choose or if he would ever choose at all! Most of the girls were pulling for you, though. Most of us could never see what was so special about that Lana Lang girl, well, Luthor now. Oh, I'm sorry! She was your best friend, wasn't she?" Brenda brought her hand up to her mouth, looking horrified at her rambling.

"She still is. She's a very sweet person, Brenda. A lot of people just didn't get to know who she really was in high school," Chloe said nicely. She couldn't judge Brenda too harshly. She had felt the same when she first moved to Smallville at thirteen.

"Well, you were always well-liked and envied among us girls," Brenda continued with a giggle. "Being the star quarterback's best friend and all. Between you and Lana, none of us ever thought we had a chance with Clark Kent! Who could compete with the prettiest girl in school and the smartest?" Brenda gestured to Chloe on the last part of her sentence. "So, how long have you two been married?"

"Married?"

"You and Clark. I called you Sullivan, but you're probably a Kent now. It must have been soon after high school," Brenda led.

"Oh!" Chloe had been distracted by all the chatter of her and Lana being in competition over Clark. Brenda's outside opinion was almost enlightening. "We're not-" Chloe stopped awkwardly. Chloe knew instantly Brenda didn't read the paper much or she would know Chloe wasn't married

Brenda looked at her with confusion until it finally dawned on her. "Oh. Well, would you look at that, I did it again! Stuck my big fat foot right in my big fat mouth! It's just, that you two always seemed so. . . And you were here together today. . . And the. . ." She discreetly pointed to Connor and Kaid who, thankfully, were still engrossed in the comic. "In the corner. . . I just thought. . . I'm sorry," she finished lamely.

Chloe was fixing to tell her there was no need when the girl behind the counter cried out, "Next!"

"It was nice seeing you again, Brenda," Chloe said with a smile as she stepped up and placed her order. "I need four cowboy burgers, all with cheese, three with extra mayonnaise and no pickles or onions, one with mustard and everything, five orders of fries and one Coke, two Sprites and one sweet iced tea," Chloe rattled off.

"Twenty-five, even." The disinterested girl informed Chloe.

Chloe handed her Clark's bank card. The girl looked at it and handed it back. "I can't use that. You can't be Clark Kent."

"No, I'm not. Just one second," Chloe started to go for her purse when she realized she'd left it in the SUV at the farm. She looked back at the girl. "You know what? I left my purse at home. You see that tall, dark haired man standing out there in the navy jacket and blue jeans? He's Clark Kent."

"I don't know that. Cancel that order!" She yelled at the man cooking behind the wall.

"No, do not cancel that order!" Chloe yelled. "Just one second. Get these people behind me and I'll go bring him in." Chloe marched to the glass door and opened it. Clark and Stephen were leaning against the Douglas' mini-van, no doubt talking about their glory days.

"Clark! Could you come here, please?" She called out to him.

"Hi, Chloe! Clark said he was here with you!" Stephen, the Smallville Crows', and later CKU's, best wide receiver, yelled out to her.

Chloe wanted to snort. Stephen didn't even know her name in high school and she'd sat behind the doofus for four years in homeroom. Chloe made the polite response while Clark shook his hand and jogged over to her.

"What's up?"

"They won't accept your card because I'm not you. Could you go in and show the girl your driver's license or your social security card or your birth certificate?"

"No problem," Clark began to breath through his mouth, avoiding the fumes that earlier had messed with him. On his way in, he passed Brenda Douglas.

"It was nice seeing you, Chloe. I'm sorry about earlier. You and him do look good together, though," she said softly, just as Clark slid past her. Chloe knew he'd heard Brenda and was continuing to listen by the way his ear was turned toward them.

"Thank you, Brenda. Don't worry about it. Have a safe trip." Chloe pushed the door open for her and waved at Stephen again. She watched them both return to their mini-van and drive away. Minutes later, Clark stood beside her at the front window, bags of food clutched in his hands.

"Who was that?" He asked.

"Brenda Douglas. Stephen's wife. She was Brenda Williams when we all graduated together."

"I guess I don't remember her," Clark replied. Chloe gazed up at him. With the exception of Alicia Baker, did Clark really never notice any of the other girls surrounding him at Smallville High except for Lana and her, as Brenda had said? How was that even possible when he'd barely even noticed her?

Chloe shook off the odd nostalgia and called over her shoulder for the boys. All four of them exited back into the cold November day and made their way over to a group of three or four picnic tables nailed together under a questionably constructed pavilion.

"Are you sure you want to eat out here? Won't you three get cold?" Clark asked.

Looking up at him with funny little smile, Chloe answered. "Nope. I might, but they won't. They love it when it's like this."

"In that case," Clark's set the food down and the drink holder and pulled his jacket off, draping it around Chloe's own quilted shoulders.

"Thanks," Chloe said, thrusting her arms through the sleeves. Surreptitiously, she breathed in through her nose. The jacket smelt like Clark. Not the cologne he used sparingly in the mornings, but _him. _

_"You smell like freshly baked cinnamon rolls," Clark whispered heatedly at the back of her neck, his nose buried against her nape._

Chloe's cheeks suffused with heat at the memory of the husky words. Clark smelt like fresh bales of hay. Dry, clean and slightly sweet. And his mouth tasted like mint leaves. She forced her eyes open to find all three men staring at her. Four, if she counted Shelby who had sprinted over. She swallowed.

"Where did you go?" Clark asked, opening the bags.

"No where," Chloe said, fighting to keep her voice steady. She took the bags from him and handed all the burgers marked 'Mayo' to the guys and kept the 'Must' for herself. She handed Clark the Coke and a straw, then set the Sprites before the boys and shoved their straws into the openings. Clark laid out fries for everyone on napkins, dropping Shelby's order to the ground where the dog woofed it down eagerly.

Lunch was a slow paced activity, even with the wind blowing like it was. Chloe chased down napkins and Clark keep the last little bites of the boys' burgers from blowing away. Between bites and swallows, Connor and Kaid tutored Clark on the finer points of Warrior Angel. Finding a captive audience in Clark, Connor and Kaid went nuts, giving him facts and dates and little trivial tidbits. Sipping her tea, Chloe sat back and watched. The boys loved Oliver and Oliver had been great with them, but he'd never been able to connect with them on the level Clark was. The three of them were fragments of the same soul, Chloe knew, finding how easily they fit together. The inherit father in Clark was being pulled out by these two little copies of himself. He seemed so much like his own father. The thought of the father the boys missed out on having and the grandfather they'd never know, the two men who shaped and steered her life more than her own ever had, caused something inside Chloe to break. Chloe couldn't help it. She put her fist up to her mouth, hiding her trembling lips at the way her sons, _their sons, _carried on an excited conversation with Clark, Clark's own face lit up and just as animated as Connor and Kaids'. Quickly, she dashed the tears out of her eyes, biting her lip to try and stem the flow.

Clark glanced over at Chloe for a moment and then swung back when he saw her face was awash with tears. Her small hands hastily wiped her face, trying to disguise the emotion that was clearly seeping out of her.

"Guys, your mom is probably freezing. What do you say we finish up here and ride home?" Clark suggested.

The boys nodded, taking Clark's direction easily. They gathered up everyone's trash, making a game out of balancing the heaps in their arms as carried it over to the large metal trash can and chucked it all in. With Shelby at the heels, all made their way back to their horses. Again, Clark took charge and seated boys on their horses. He then placed Chloe in the saddle and swung himself up behind her. Pulling her securely back against him, shielding her against the cold wind with his body, Clark enveloped her as much as he could within his arms as he held the reins lightly.

Chloe cried silently, not even bothering any longer to hide her tears from Clark. She felt Clark gather her as close as he could in their positioning on the horse. Clark allowed the boys to ride a little farther ahead of them, but kept his eyes trained on them as they all followed the path home. Nudging Chloe's head back against his throat with his chin, Clark sighed when he felt the soft brush of her hair against his exposed skin.

"What happened back there, Chlo?" He asked softly.

"Just the way you are with them," Chloe whispered thickly. "You're going to be such a wonderful father, Clark."

Clark almost reminded her the boys already had a father, Oliver, and he wasn't looking to replace him. He bit his tongue at the last second. Thoughts of Oliver always conflicted him and now that he and Chloe were not together any longer, Clark tried hard to shut the angry thoughts off.

"You're a pretty good mother. You remind me a lot of how my mom was with me," Clark replied.

"I tried. I tried to be like your mom. I was always thinking, 'What would Martha do?'," Chloe said with a sniffle.

"She's a great example to have," Clark replied. "But I'm sure you would have done just fine on your own."

They rode along for a little while in silence, Clark hearing the rumble of thunder. Just ahead, Clark could see the outline of the yellow farm house. The twins has taken the straighter road, by-passing the meadow to make it home in half the time.

"I never pictured myself as a mom, Clark. Never thought I wanted to be one," Chloe murmured the closer they got to Kent land.

"What changed your mind?"

"You were gone. My life had no purpose and then. . . It did."

"Because of Oliver?" Clark said tightly.

_"No," _Chloe answered vehemently. "Because of them. I waited and waited for you to come back, Clark. Finally, I just wanted to give up. I didn't think I could survive losing the other man I-" She broke off suddenly. "I didn't think I could survive losing you so soon after Jimmy. And then one morning I woke up and found Connor and Kaid curled up in the bed with me." Chloe could feel her blood racing and her heart pounding. They'd reached the farm and Connor and Kaid had led their horses into the barn. Clark halted Odysseus right outside and Chloe knew this was the right moment to tell him. She set her face in determination and gripped one of Clark's hands in both of hers. "Clark, there is something you need to know about what happened after you left," Chloe began, fearing if she didn't get it out the moment would pass her by.

"Why didn't you wait for me, Chloe?"

"The twins-What?"

Clark slid off the horse and turned to look up at her. He was going to wait until dinner to have this conversation, but if she wanted to have it now, by all means, Clark thought. He looked up at her, her face confused by his question.

He asked her again. "Why didn't you wait for me? After what happened between us, did you really think I would have abandoned you that way?"

"Clark, I-"

"I know I was gone longer than we expected," Clark cut her off. "But the boys are, what? Seven? Fixing to be eight? Did you think so little of me that you ran off and jumped Oliver so soon after I left?" Clark snarled. He hadn't meant to be this angry. Part of him was wondering where this emotion was coming from, but he liked it.

"Now, wait just a minute!" Chloe exclaimed, sliding off the horse herself and standing toe to toe with him. "I did not _jump _Oliver! If you would shut up for two seconds I'll tell you-"

"I don't care how how you and Oliver happened. It doesn't matter. What I need to know is _why. _Chloe, when we-" Clark swallowed. "After we made love, I know I was wrong in leaving you the way I did. I was a total ass and I'm sorry. But before we go any further, I want to make sure this is what you want. That night meant everything to me and I need to know you feel the same way."

"It did. I've always wanted you, Clark," Chloe pressed her hands against his chest and leaned into him. Clark wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him "When Jor-El told me-"

"Jor-El?" Clark shifted back and peered at the top of her blonde head. What did Jor-El have to do with any of this?

Chloe lifted her eyes and looked at Clark. "You don't know?"

"Don't know what?" Clark said through clenched teeth.

Chloe shivered slightly, not from the wind but from the anger now quite apparent on Clark's face. Her reply came out in a jumble of words. "I went to the Fortress. . . I was worried about you. . . Jor-El told me-"

Clark grasped Chloe by the shoulders. _"Jor-El told you what?"_

Chloe stilled in his hands. The thunder rumbled again, closer and this time, accompanied with a few droplets of rain. In a whisper she said, "He told me the Clark Kent I loved no longer existed."

* * *

_Deep breaths. _

_Count to ten._

_Don't turn the wheel into a pretzel._

Clark stared straight ahead of him. Over and over he coached himself to be calm. It wasn't working. He saw the turn off to go down by the caves. Gritting his teeth, he drove past it, staying to the road that led back to Metropolis, paying close attention to the rain-slicked curves.

_All his fault, all his fault._

_Deep breaths._

_Count to ten._

_Don't turn the wheel into a pretzel._

Chloe looked over at Clark. His jaw was contracted, his arms flexed, the power he was so adept at hiding flowing off of him. Nervously, she played with the strap of her purse. Glancing back, she saw Connor and Kaid sleeping soundly. Turning back to Clark, she wondered if she'd ever seen him so angry. Angry wasn't even the right word for it. Incensed was more like it.

"Clark! Wait, where are you going?" She screamed after him as he broke away from and began striding off, the clouds finally breaking and rain coming down in sheets.

_"To talk to my father!"_ He yelled back, each word punctuated by a stomp of a foot.

"Clark, we have to go back to Metropolis. We have a bigger problem than you going all 'Cats in the Cradle' with Jor-El!"

Clark swung back to look at her. "This is all his fault, Chloe!" Clark gestured wildly between them. "He screwed up our lives! You thought I was _dead _because of him! He's the one who sent you running to Oliver! Instead of making anything to clear-"

"None of that matters anymore!" Chloe splashed over to him, gripping his shirt in her hands, looking up at through the blinding rain. She was aware of the boys watching them from the open barn door, but didn't have time to think about the implications. "It happened. What matters is we are together now. And you don't have the time for a mini-field trip to the Fortress. We need to get back to Metropolis," Chloe implored softly. Clark growled at his feet.

Seeing his anger toward Jor-El was a little too close to home. All too soon that anger could, and most likely would, be turned on her. Chloe berated herself for lying to him again, for taking the easy way out and letting him believe that Oliver was Connor and Kaid's father and that Jor-El was the reason. Laying her head in her hand, Chloe stared out the window, asking herself how she could have made such a mess of everything and wondering what was going on in Clark's head. He hadn't said more than two syllables to anything she'd said to him after they'd gotten in the car. Why had she thought Jor-El would have told him she came looking for him? Of course the god of the Ice Castle wouldn't have said a word to Clark! For Clark, a person he loved, be it friend or more, to come looking for him meant trouble. Clark had left his training once to save her and it had angered Jor-El. This wouldn't have been any different.

Minutes passed like a snail parade, until finally the Metropolis skyline came into view. Within twenty minutes, they were pulling into the underground parking. Clark sat in the seat, the car off, still staring at his hands. Chloe got out and opened the back door. Connor and Kaid didn't even stir. Chloe began to nudge Connor when the door on Kaid's side opened. Clark reached in and plucked Kaid up, not even waking the sleeping boy. Chloe did the same, although she was a little more awkward lugging her tall son into her arms and back up the elevator. Shelby followed, his tail tucked as if sensing the disturbance in his family unit. Outside the doors, she could hear boisterous voices and knew the gang had gathered. Connor stirred slightly but didn't wake, burrowing closer into his mother. Clark reached over and pulled the door open.

"Hey!" People greeted, but voices quickly fell. Chloe had no way of knowing if it was due to the sleeping children or the thunderous look on Clark's face, matching the hellion of a storm lashing at the windows.

Chloe spotted Bart and AC sprawled on the floor over a mass of paper, Lana and Oliver sipping bottles of water in front of laptops, Dinah and Victor making notes on blue prints. Everyone watched as they marched past. Clark led the way, filing into the master bedroom and laying Kaid gently down, turning silently and taking Connor from Chloe. Shelby had been detained out in the living room, having got a scent of a new person he'd never been around. Clark and Chloe came out to find him sniffing warily around Lana's chair before snuffling and going to roll on Bart.

Oliver turned in his seat. "How'd it go? You two have fun singing in the rain?" He gestured to their slightly-dampened clothes.

Chloe looked up at Clark, catching her bottom lip in her teeth.

"Oliver, if you don't mind, I need to go. . . Somewhere for a little bit," Clark told him. He didn't wait for a response before moving off toward the elevator again.

Chloe caught up, yanking his sleeve hard. "Clark," she said through gritted teeth. "Nothing you can do and say will change anything. If you would just let me explain-"

"You're not the one who needs to explain. _He is." _Clark pulled his arm out of her grasp and changed directions, going for the stairs. When the door clanged behind him, Chloe heard the distinctive _whoosh! _that always accompanied him and Bart. Chloe pressed a hand to her temple.

"Did you tell him?" Oliver asked at her side.

"Tell him what?" Lana echoed on the other.

"I didn't get the chance," Chloe moaned.

"Come here," Lana said, taking Chlo's hand and leading her to sit down on the sofa.

"Where did Clark go?" Victor asked.

"We could use his help," Dinah snapped.

"Why did you let him go, Ollie? Clark's a champion at speed reading," Bart threw in.

"He's coming back, isn't he?" AC asked.

"Would you all stop yammering!" Chloe opened her eyes to find herself on her feet, glaring at them all. Opening her mouth to apologize, Chloe closed it again and stalked over to the kitchen.

"Why don't you-" Oliver motioned to Lana. He directed the rest of the group back to their duties, most of them shocked into silence at Chloe's unusual outburst. Dinah looked on with sympathy and Bart shook his head.

Chloe leaned on her elbows on the counter, staring straight at the wall in front of her. She felt someone come up behind her. "Look, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay," Lana said softly behind her. "We all have the 'Frustrated Clark' days."

Chloe turned her head and looked at Lana with annoyed eyes.

"Want to talk about it?"

* * *

"She's back."

"And?"

"And she's alone."

"Where did Clark go?"

"I don't know. But wherever he is, he's not in the living room with her. I saw him head into the service stairs. He's been gone for about six or seven minutes now."

"Good. Let's proceed."

"Lex, there are other people in the loft, though. And she's got her kids."

"So? You develop morals in the last few hours?"

"No, sir. You pay me enough to forget I ever had 'em."

"Precisely. Do it. I'm leaving now."

Doug disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the ground. He opened the box to his left and carefully took the wireless remote out of it. With his finger hovering over the green button, he watched Chloe Sullivan lean casually against the bar with a striking brunette woman.

"Time to get the hell out of this freezing rain!" Doug hit the button. "Showtime. . ."

* * *

"Lana, I've made a mistake."

"What did you do?"

"First off, I lied. My nose should be out to here by now!" Chloe thrust her arm out, indicting the three feet of space out in front of her. "I let Clark believe something that isn't true."

"Chloe," Lana began. Grabbing the chipped cowboy mug Chloe had scooped up from the wreckage of the house, Lana filled it with coffee and handed it to Chloe. "I've made my peace with what happened when we were younger, but Clark is the last person who should fault you for lying."

"I wish it was that simple," Chloe replied, holding the mug close to her. "But this is a big one. One that will change his life forever. And he'll hate me for it."

Lana furrowed her brows. "Chloe, if it's that bad-"

"It's not bad. Just. . . Shocking."

"What is it?"

"Hey, Mom?" Chloe identified Kaid's sleepy voice for the head of the hallway. She turned to him.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Is it okay-"

A loud clap of thunder shook the loft, followed by a crackle of lightning. Lana and Chloe both yelped and jumped, Chloe losing her grip on the coffee mug. Watching in horror, Chloe waited for the cup to shatter before her eyes. A soft _whoosh!_ was heard and Kaid stood before, his eyes big as he held his mom's favorite coffee cup, scalding coffee dripping down his hands.

"Whoa. . ." Victor said, staring with eyes just as huge at Kaid.

Disbelieving murmurs were heard around the room, all eyes trained on Kaid and his surprising display of speed. Speed, only seen in two other people in the room.

"Did he just-" Lana broke off, her own doe eyes rising up to meet Chloe's. "Connor and Kincaid. . ."

Chloe pressed her lips in a line. The secret was out. And everyone knew except Clark. Chloe hung her head. He was going to hate her.

"Listen, guys," Oliver started.

"You knew?" AC asked Oliver incredulously. "Does Clark know?"

"No, he doesn't. She hasn't had a chance to tell him yet."

"Wait, Speedy Gonzales knew?" Victor questioned, pointing to Bart.

"So, Connor and Kaid _aren't _Oliver's kids?" Dinah voiced.

"Slow down!" Oliver shouted. Oliver turned to find Chloe, pale as death, hugging Kaid, who was a little frightened with all the yelling, against her side. Everyone turned silent as they all realized Kaid still stood in the room.

"Mom, I'm so sorry," he said on the verge of tears. "I just didn't want you to break your favorite cup."

"Oh, baby, it's okay. It's okay!" Chloe pulled Kaid tighter to her, laying her cheek on his soft, blonde hair.

"Can we table this, for now? We're all friends, but this is a personal matter between Clark and Chloe. If we could get back to-" Oliver coughed. "Work." His voice was oddly strangled.

"Oliver?" AC asked. "Oliver!"

They all watched Oliver go down, hitting the floor unconscious.

"What's happening?" Dinah yelled as AC was next.

"Oh my god!" Chloe pulled away from Kaid as she ran to Bart and Victor who fell to the floor as well. She turned her head and saw the smallest amount of a toxin being leeched into the room. Chloe felt light-headed and her own throat begin to close.

"Lana," she rasped, falling to her own knees, trying hard no to breathe anymore than she had to. "Run! Clark! Fortress!"

"Mom!" Connor yelled.

Chloe watched Lana begin to cough and look at them like a scared little girl. "Lana, _now!" _Lana stumbled over to stairs and then disappeared in an instant. Chloe fell to her knees and then couldn't stop the progression to the floor. She rolled over on her side. Connor and Kaid were both kneeling on the floor beside, whatever the gas was, totally innocuous to them.

"Boys," Chloe's voice was getting weaker. She was trying to hold on, fight the blackness that wanted to overtake her.

"Mom!" The boys sobbed! "Mommy! What's happening?"

"Go," she croaked. "Run, now!"

"No, Mommy," Kaid cried, tears streaming down his little face.

"Now!" She tried to speak forcefully. "Go. . . Farm. . ."

"Kaid, we have to go. Come on!" Connor, through his own tears, yanked his younger brother up.

"Not so fast," a hard voice spoke.

"Go now!" Chloe ground out, catching sight of Lex Luthor striding out of the elevator, a cold and triumphant smile spreading across his face. The boys stood petrified, as Lex reached inside his coat and pulled out a shiny, long barreled pistol. He pointed it at them. "Lex, no!"

He swung, his aim now falling on Chloe. "I wouldn't move one more step if you want to see your mama around for Christmas," Lex said to the boys, never taking his eyes off Chloe.

Chloe tried to fight, began to thrash on the floor. Lana had to find Clark! She had to! Lex knelt down and picked Chloe up by the shoulders. She was getting tunnel vision. Doug Weimar came up behind and grabbed Connor and Kaid by their shirt collars.

Lex, looking over at the boys as well, the only two people besides Doug and Lex still standing. They watched Chloe through big, tear filled eyes, their faces alert and fearful. "Looks like you're just full of secrets, aren't you, Chloe?" He whispered into her ear.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Clark hit the roof of the Talon with a crash that most other Smallville citizens dismissed as an angry crack of thunder. The rain drenched his light t-shirt and jeans, causing them to stick like glue to his muscular form. Forgetting to check his strength, Clark ripped the roof entrance door off it's hinges. He stopped and took a deep breath. Tearing things to pieces was not going to help anything. Neither would yelling and screaming at Jor-El but it would sure make Clark feel a hell of a lot better. After replacing the door back on the frame and firing up his heat vision to fix the metal, Clark entered the door at a mortal capacity. He did, however, zip past the prying eyes from the floor below and let himself into his apartment. Not bothering to change out of his wet clothes, Clark headed straight for the drawer in the bedside table. Opening it, he grabbed his book and withdrew the key. Wrapping his fingers around it, he took off again, this time heading for the caves.

In less than five minutes, Clark found himself gazing up at the entrance of his Fortress of Solitude. Solitude, Clark thought derisively. No wonder Jor-El didn't understand the workings of a heart. The artificial intelligence had been alone for years as it waited for the last son of Krypton to activate it. Clark wondered if there was any shred of the man who created him inside the programming. That man, Clark's actual biological father, not some disembodied presence in a house of ice, knew of love. The real Jor-El loved Lara, Clark's biological mother. From the stories Kara had told him, Clark knew his Kryptonian parents had been very much like Jonathon and Martha Kent. To watch them had been like watching a fairy tale were Kara's exact words. Damn it, he and his father were not so different! They both had known what it was like to love someone so much it was like a piece of you was missing when they were gone. Why had that one special component not been included when Jor-El manifested himself into a computer program? Clark couldn't help but think if the flesh and blood version of Jor-El were in the Fortress, he would have received Chloe with open arms and never had kept her presence from Clark. And how had Jor-El been able to mask Chloe's appearance? The first time Clark had found himself in the Fortress, Chloe's voice broke through to him in need as she tried not to freeze to death only a few feet from him.

Squaring his shoulders, Clark ventured inside.

"Jor-El!" Clark yelled, his voice bouncing off the towers of ice. Clark could feel his clothes and hair beginning to encrust with ice, but he continued on, heedless of the hypothermic conditions. "Jor-El!"

All he heard was the groaning of the arctic wind outside. Clark shook his head. He felt as if the program were hiding from him. Clark tried one more time, a hoarse bellow filling the space. "JOR-EL!"

The ice slowly began to glow.

"Kal-El," Jor-El finally acknowledged. "You sound upset, my son."

"You knew. All along you knew that I would be gone for more than two years!" Clark began angrily without preamble.

"I told you your training would take a total of two Kryptonian years. If you had paid more attention during the learning sessions as you did in the simulations, you would have known that," Jor-El intoned in his dignified voice, oblivious and uncaring as why this was an issue for Clark.

"I know I should have asked, but you could have offered to shed some light on that little fact. I've lost so much more than time, Jor-El!" Clark yelled back. He knew he and Chloe could never have been able to create children of their own but he couldn't help mourning the life they could have built together, the years she had to believe he was either dead or had abandoned her.

"Kal-El, can you truthfully say you would have willingly devoted eight years of you life to your training had you known?"

The question brought Clark up short. He'd balked at the specified two years at the beginning and even cursed them after the night he spent with Chloe. Looking back now, Clark knew if it had been a question of eight years spent with no one but a cold land and a distant particle of a father to keep him company or the solid warmth of the woman he loved, he would have picked Chloe without hesitation.

"I see your point," Clark conceded. "I have not always been the most reliable student or the most dedicated. But you had noright to keep that kind of information from me! This is my life, Jor-El. You and Lara sent me to this planet to live. I realize that I have a greater purpose, but I am entitled to some sort of happiness!"

"I apologize for my deceit and not allowing you a choice," Jor-El said almost sincerely. "I have come to understand freedom of will and freedom of choice is not only strong in the people of Earth, but creeds to live by. Is this the only reason you have searched me out after months of silence?"

"No," Clark answered, feeling his anger begin to rev once more. "Why didn't you tell me Chloe came looking for me?" He asked in a low, hard tone.

"I do not know this name, Kal-El. Who do you speak of?"

"You know who she is, Jor-El! She's the girl you allowed me to save the first time I was here. She's the woman I brought here to you because Brainiac was taking over her mind. She's the-"

"Yes, the woman who kept drawing you away from your training over the years. You were not to be interrupted, Kal-El. Your training was much more important than whatever tidings this earthly woman brought here to this place."

"You told her I no longer existed!" Clark bellowed. "Because of you, she thought I was dead! That I had abandoned her!"

If Jor-El was capable of any kind of emotion, Clark would say the Fortress seemed to sigh around him in exasperation, unable to understand the workings of Clark's mind. "Kal-El, you are letting your human learned emotions cloud your reasoning again-"

"They make me who I am! I am tired of your lecturing on how feeble and inadequate they make me. If you had even an ounce of the emotion we humans do," Clark growled, choosing to align himself with the people of his home. "You'd know that what you did was wrong! You hurt her and I will not tolerate that. She's already been through too much because of me."

Jor-El was silent for a long time. Then he began, the voice taking a softer, more somber tone. "Your affection for this woman is admirable, Kal-El. I am truly sorry that I caused you and this woman pain. I am, but I only told her the truth. The man she came looking for does no longer exist. You have changed. You are not the same boy who came to me, heart-broken and despondent. You have become a man that your mother and I could be proud of."

The warmth Clark felt at the words was short-lived. How was that possible if Jor-El still regarded his emotions as a hindrance instead of an advantage? "How can I ever trust you, Jor-El?" Clark asked sadly. "All you ever saw was some great destiny for me to fulfill. I am your son. That means something on this planet."

"Kal-El-"

"Clark!"

Clark lifted his head, listening as a voice screamed his name. Someone had followed him up here. He turned back to the crystal console, the place he'd come to think of as the heart of the Fortress, the throne where his father sat. "Jor-El, I have to-"

"Go, my son. We can continue this later." The cavernous space darkened and Clark trudged away and out, scanning the blank terrain for this unknown visitor.

"Clark!"

It was a female, Clark could tell that much. Off in the distance, he caught a glimpse of black blur. "Lana?" He whispered in shock.

"Clark! I don't know where you are! Clark!"

"Lana!" Clark shouted as he stopped about a foot from her own blurring form.

"Clark!" Lana gasped in surprise and relief. She moved forward and fell against him, shivering in the cold. Clark wrapped his arms around her. As far as he knew, her suit enabled her to run as fast as he did and lift as much as he did, but she still must have been susceptible to the effects of minus-thirty degree weather. She must have been zipping around to keep warm. How long had she been out here searching for him, exposing herself to frostbite and maybe worse? Why?

"Lana," Clark said again, shaking her roughly to make sure she was still coherent. "What's wrong, Lana?"

Lana lifted her head and looked at him with sleepy eyes. "Lex," she answered weakly. "He took her. All of them. . ."

"Lana? Lana!" Clark hoisted her up into his arms. Her head lolled to the side as she finally lost the consciousness she'd been clinging to.

"Why did I leave her?" Clark muttered as he stood, lost. "I shouldn't have left her!" But how had Lex got to her? She was surrounded by all the League members, including Lana who was the closest thing to him. Lana had said 'all of them' though. Had Lex taken the entire League? How had Lana escaped? Not wanting to waste a second but knowing he might need a bargaining chip, Clark headed back to the Fortress and retrieved the only thing that would negotiate a possible release.

* * *

"Oliver?" Lois looked around at the others surrounding Oliver on the floor, all unconscious. She turned her attention back to Oliver.

"Oliver," she said sternly as she knelt to her knees next to him. He didn't move. His features were set in a peaceful way, his mouth open slightly. Lois' heart began to pound.

"Oliver." Lois shook him frantically. "Oliver! Damn it, Oliver! You are not allowed to do this to me! Wake up! Wake up, you sissy-ass, leather-fetish freak, wake up now!" Lois cried shrilly. When nothing worked, Lois took drastic measures and slapped him as hard as she could across his cheek. Her ring caught his skin and tore it, leaving a jagged and bloody wound. His head followed the trajectory of her right hand, rolling to the other side and away from her. She glanced up again, trying hard not to snivel as she peered at the other inert bodies sprawled around him. Off in the corner was Shelby, the dog laying on his side, his tongue draping out Former flame Artur Curry was a few inches from Oliver's left and next to him, Dinah Lance, a fellow colleague at the Planet who was as much a brunette as Lois was a blonde if that was indeed crooked wig. Not stopping to wonder why they were here she moved on. To Oliver's right, was a slender, boyish looking man Lois recognized as the friend Chloe always claimed was from her MetU days when he would show up unannounced at dinner, 'just passing through'. The boys called him 'Uncle Bart'. Next to him was the good-looking Victor Stone, a football player she had watched raptly when his team had a showdown with the Crows that Chloe insisted on dragging her to when Clark had been quarterback their senior year. And if Lois remembered correctly, Victor Stone was supposedly. . .dead. He was reportedly killed in a car crash along with his entire family.

"Oh my god. . ." Lois gasped. This was Oliver's League! Someone had attacked them all! Quickly searching the casualties on the floor one more time, Lois saw that Clark and Chloe were not among them. And neither was Martha Kent who had been staying here with them. Lois bent her head, laying an ear against Oliver's chest. His heart was beating steadily and his lungs filling and expelling regularly. With a sigh of relief, Lois gained her feet and ran through the entire loft, calling for Chloe or Clark or Martha as she went. Where were Connor and Kaid? When all that met her ears was silence, Lois began dialing numbers. Chloe's was first and Lois groaned in frustration when she heard the Monster Mash ring tone floating from the direction she had come. Clark and Martha were next, both going to voicemail. Lois returned to the living room. She checked all the people on the floor this time and the canine. Everyone was breathing and pumping normally, although Lois was worried about Victor as he was kind of whirring and humming at the same time, sounding like her laptop when it overheated. Lois cocked her head. What did you do when an entire band of heroes needed saving? Fidgeting nervously, Lois waited five minutes and then pulled out her phone again.

"Call in backup," she muttered as she dialed.

"911, please state your emergency," a calm, cool and collected voice ordered.

Victor stirred.

"Never mind. Cancel that. They were napping. Whoops!" Lois snapped her phone shut and rushed to the side of Victor Stone.

"Mr. Stone?" She asked timidly, grasping his shoulder and giving it a shake. Lois shrieked when his eyes opened and one of them was glowing a pretty ruby red. She scrambled back in a spider crawl, her stylish heels catching in the material of Oliver's knitted sweater. She hit the floor on her shapely rear and sat back in wonder as Victor sat slowly up and began to whir and hum even louder. He got to this feet and flexed everything almost robotically. Suddenly, he shook his frame and loosened. Lois fought hard not to cower as he turned toward her. He was one of the good guys. Right?

"Lois Lane?" He said and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"The Terminator knows my name." Lois watched him closely, especially his left eye which had faded back to a chocolaty color. He reached a hand down. Lois took it and allowed Victor to pull her to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" Victor asked, ignoring her comment. "What happened?"

"You tell me," Lois answered, still watching him as he looked around and then began checking his friends one by one as well. "I came by to see Chloe and found Allistor dead to the world downstairs and the rest of you in the same state. By the way, where is Chloe? And Connor and Kaid?"

"Lex," Victor breathed as he straightened.

"Lex?" Lois repeated harshly.

"Lex must have them now. They were here when we all went down. She and Lana were standing over there by the sink. And the boys-"

"Lana?" Lois exclaimed. "Lana Lang-Luthor? She was here while her psychotic felon of an ex-husband kidnapped my cousin and her children?"

"Yeah, sure," Victor answered distractedly. He took a breath. "The air has trace amounts of Nitrous Oxide, Halothane, Enflurane and Isoflurane along with," Victor took a second deep breath as Lois looked at with him narrowed eyes. He released it in a hiss. "Carbon Dioxide and some other normal pollutants."

"Did you just perform an air analysis? What are you? Some kind of HEPA Filter?"

"Something like that," Victor answered absently as he began to riffle through the paperwork on the table.

"So, Lex has my cousin and her sons. Clark, Lana and Martha are no where to be found. The rest of your team, plus one security guard down in the garage, are all unconscious on the floor and you're. . . What? Pushing paper?" Lois asked with ferocity, marching over to the large desk that sat in front of the frosted glass closet where Oliver used to keep his Green Arrow paraphernalia.

Victor gazed back at her serenely. "It's a normal mixture of chemicals. All it is, is general surgical anesthesia. They'll come out of it at some point. Mrs. K is somewhere in the city with Krenshaw, but I don't know why she is not answering her phone. Lana is probably tracking down Clark and I'm pushing paper to make sure Lex didn't jack any of our research on where he may be headed. It may lead us to Chloe. So, if you want to be of some help, sit your loud, brash, guns blazin' ass down and start reading these." Victor slammed a pile of papers in front of her on the table. Lois sat.

"What am I looking for?" She asked meekly.

"Anything suspicious. Those are shipping slips from various shipping companies in the tri-county area."

"Why just the tri-county area? Lex could take her anywhere," Lois suggested.

"Right now, we are focusing on somewhere close by, a place where he is the most comfortable and at ease. Go through them and see if anything seems off or jumps up at you, like large groups of equipment or an out of the way location," Victor directed, sitting down and combing through his own pile of paper.

"Why does Lex want Chloe?" Lois asked, alternating between examining a shipping receipt and then Oliver who was still out cold on the floor. She lifted her eyes to Victor. He was ignoring her. "Can you not multi-task?"

"I can," Victor informed her, totally engrossed in what he was doing. "I just prefer not to."

Lois rolled her eyes and went back to her task. "Why did you come out of it so quickly?"

"I'm a little different than most people," Victor replied.

"Obviously," Lois dead-panned, thinking of his freaky eye. "Seeing as you're supposed to be playing left side tackle for the Heavenly Angels, right?

Victor looked across at her. Her eyes were wide and flitted from side to side before settling on him again. She was nervous and out of her element. He sighed. "I haven't quite made that team yet. Let's just say I'm wired more uniquely. Listen, Lois, I know you know Oliver is the Green Arrow and I'm pretty sure you've figured out who the rest of us are. We were all gathered here looking for Lex's next secret evil lab when somehow we got gassed. The last thing I remember was watching Oliver, AC and Dinah go down with Chloe and Lana watching us in the kitchen. Lana is the only one besides Bart who is able to move fast enough to get Clark who had some other place to be. I'm positive Lex took Chloe and the boys and until the others wake up, you and I have to do what we can to pinpoint where Lex may be headed."

"Why does he want Chloe?" Lois asked again.

"I don't know. We weren't even sure what he was working on. We think he's picked up whatever pet project he was working on in Russia again," Victor said as he watched Lois stiffen noticeably.

"You mean, the one that has close ties to Project Ares he discontinued before he disappeared several years ago? He was cloning people over there. Or trying to," Lois bristled.

"You know about Project Ares?" Victor questioned curiously.

"Know about it?!" Lois exclaimed. "I'm the one who discovered the place! God, Victor, if that's what he's doing again. . ." Lois trailed off.

"You saw it, didn't you?" Victor asked.

"Saw what?"

"The bodies. The bodies he'd created." Lois nodded mutely, her eyes matching the hollowness in Victor's own. "I saw them, too. In Russia. They were like life-size dolls waiting to be brought to life. All for Luthor's sick and twisted amusement."

"Project Ares was a failure. What could possibly have changed now?" Lois posed.

Victor lifted an eyebrow. "Please don't freak out, okay?" He said. Lois opened her mouth to question him when his eye turned red again. She bit back her yelp and waited patiently as Victor finished whatever he was doing. When he was done, he returned Lois' gaze. "Project Ares was concerned with super-soldiers, wasn't it?"

"Yes, made up of the different DNA samples of what Lex called 'meta-humans' or 'the meteor infected'. He took their abilities and formed them together into one being that would possess all the qualities. Wes Keenan was the very first prototype, but he was flawed. From the research I did after it happened, Lex hit a dead-end and halted it until a solution could be found. You don't think he believes Chloe is a solution, do you?"

"He may think she's part of it," Victor replied hesitantly. He was pretty sure Lex hit the jackpot when he grabbed Connor and Kaid as well. Did Lois know the boys belonged to Clark? She didn't know what Clark could do, how could she know about the boys? It opened more questions about all that Lois knew and didn't know. Victor was aware Chloe had been meteor infected at one point, able to heal others injuries but taking them into herself. Was she taken for that? Victor groaned. He really wished Oliver would wake up. Victor always gave Oliver a hard time about being a General, but the truth was Chloe and Oliver had been running the team for almost ten years now and Victor liked being just another link in the chain of command. Oliver would be able to steer Lois in the direction he wanted her.

"Why would Lex think Chloe would be part of a solution?"

"I-"

"What happened?!"

Both Victor and Lois jumped and turned as Martha Kent came rushing into the apartment, their conversation being interrupted. Victor breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mrs. Kent!" Lois exclaimed. She came out of her seat and bounded to the older woman, crashing into her and clinging to Martha like a child who'd been lost in a department store. "Lex has Chloe! And Oliver-" Lois broke off into confusing sobs.

"Shhh. . . Lois, it's okay," Martha said, stroking the younger woman's hair while she, herself, searched the loft for any sight of her own family. Krenshaw kneeled down and checked his employer.

"We saw Allistor downstairs, he's sitting on the floor holding his head," Martha continued. "Where's Clark? And Chloe and the boys?"

"Mr. Queen?"

Lois spun around when she heard Krenshaw utter Oliver's name. The blonde man's eyelids were fluttering.

"Oliver!" Lois hit the floor and pulled Oliver's head into her lap. His eyes slowly blinked open, gazing up at her with confusion. Other groans and moans could be heard as the others began to move all around him. Victor quietly filled Martha in, his hand on her shoulder as she steadily lost her color.

"He has them? Lex has my grandchildren?" Martha kept muttering.

"She knows?" Lois hissed.

"They all kinda know now," Oliver finally spoke, his voice groggy. "But Clark still doesn't know, so if you could zip it, that would be good Lois."

"He still doesn't know?!" Lois exclaimed, causing Oliver to flinch. "I thought Chloe was going to tell him today."

"They got busy or something. Hi, Lois," AC said hesitantly, standing and helping Dinah to her feet. She swept off the wig and tossed it, giving Lois a daring glance as she did.

Lois eyed Dinah right back before focusing on AC, raising her eyebrows at him. "So, Clark was right about you. At least you're on the right side, it seems. Oliver, how are you feeling?" She turned quickly back to Oliver when she felt him move slightly. She would take time to process this all later, Lois determined, smoothing her hand over Oliver's short hair.

"Little woozy. Think I'll stay here for a little while longer," Oliver answered, nuzzling further into Lois' lap.

"It was only general anesthesia," Victor told everyone. "There shouldn't be any side effects."

"Hey, hey!" Bart made the 'raise the roof' movement with his hands. "Tried out that new Breathalyzer thingamajiggy, huh?"

One by one, all gained their feet, including Oliver who leaned heavily upon Lois as he got up.

"Lois, what are you doing here?" Oliver asked, vertical and coherent once more.

"Shut up," Lois growled before grabbing Oliver and pulling him down, kissing him violently.

When Lois released him, Oliver looked slightly dazed, with a goofy grin on his face. "Maybe I should get gassed more often."

"Don't you dare," Lois replied, punching his chest before falling against it.

The group continued to collect themselves, each noticing the absence of certain members.

"Oliver," Dinah began. "Where is Chloe?"

Oliver looked around and then down at the woman in his arms. Lois tilted her head back slightly and shook it before resting her forehead back against his neck, tears escaping from her eyes. A cloud descended as everyone realized who had done this. Bart cursed, kicking the wall while Victor laid an arm across Martha's trembling shoulders.

"Vic, what do we know-"

Oliver was cut off by a whoosh! and the sudden appearance of Clark and Lana. Lois lifted her head and watched along with everyone as a shaking and shivering Lana was handed off to Bart who supported her, escorting her to the couch and wrapping a blanket around her. Their heads then all turned as one to find Clark looming on the outskirts, his fists balled along his thighs. He was dressed in only a t-shirt and jeans while freezing rain poured down outside. But his state of dress or his sudden presence weren't the things Lois was paying attention to. Lois gulped, something inside her curling away at the frightening expression turning his normally classic good-looks into a snarl. She clung tighter to Oliver. Clark right now scared her more than the thought of Chloe in Lex's clutches. With surprise, Lois almost felt pity for Lex.

"How did he get her?" Clark's voice, tight and measured, whispered over them. The air turned heavy. The assembled group gazed back at Clark while exchanging apprehensive glances with one another. Bart took a tentative step forward, a lamb approaching a lion.

"Clark, man-" Bart started.

"How did he get her?!" His shout rang out, causing all to jump. Dinah, imitating Lois, moved into AC's arms.

"Honey," Martha said bravely, going over to Clark and gripping his arm. "You need to calm down. You will find her," Martha addressed to the entire group. "As long as you work together, you can find her." She turned back to Clark. "You will get her back."

"He can't take her, not when I finally have-" Clark broke off, turning his head to the side and hiding it from view of the others. Lana saw a tear drop off the end of his nose.

"Lex didn't just take Chloe, Clark. He took Connor and Kaid, too," Oliver told him.

Clark looked sharply in Oliver's direction. "Oliver, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Oliver waved his hand. He opened his mouth, intending on setting Clark straight once and for all, but Lana swept in. "If we just all sit down and go through the paperwork, we can put together some leads." Her voice was raspy and stuttered from the remaining cold.

"That could take hours! Who knows what Lex could do with that amount of time!"

"Bart! Not helping!" Oliver said sharply.

"Bart's right. Let's get started," Clark ordered. Everyone except Lana clustered around the table, shuffling paper and finding their own spot to hover. Lois and Oliver sat over by the doors to the balcony, Victor and Bart remained at the table while AC and Dinah took over the kitchen counter. Clark paced the length of the room, speed reading and going through five pages to everyone else's one. Martha found herself on the couch with a still shivering Lana, each with their own stack of pages on the glass coffee table.

"Aw, sweetie," Martha said after Lana's third straight minute of chattering teeth. "You're freezing, aren't you?" With a pat to the leg, Martha asked, "Oliver, do you have any hard liquor?" Heads popped up when they heard Mama K asked for liquor.

"Right on, Mrs. Kent. I could use some liquid fire to clear the cobwebs," Lois answered jauntily, sauntering over to Oliver's liquor cabinet and withdrawing a bottle of amber colored liquid.

Martha joined her, pouring a good two inches into a crystal glass. "It's for Lana, should help warm her up."

"Not to go all Gossip Girl at a time like this, but giving the history between the Three Musketeers, what is Lana doing here? How does she fit into-" Lois made a circle with her index finger, encompassing the League in the swirl.

"She's here to help, Lois," Martha told her with a squeeze of her arm before returning to the couch and Lana.

"If you say so," Lois muttered, taking her own glass back to her spot with Oliver. Lois glanced over at Lana. She and Lana had at one time been close, back when they were very young but then the small-town princess married a billionaire, learned some shady tricks of her own and then disappeared off the grid only to return again to mess with Clark's head before leaving him once more. Lois no longer knew how to relate to a girl like that. Mentally sharpening her pitchfork, Lois prepared herself for battle if the slender thing even breathed in the direction of Clark. After they successfully rescued Chloe from Lex, no one was going to screw with her baby cousin's happiness. No one. Even if that someone may or may not be a permanent fixture in Oliver's League.

"Here you go. This should help," Martha said, handing the high-ball glass to Lana.

Lana took a big gulp and thrust the glass back to Martha, coughing as the strong flavor hit the back of her tongue and splashed down into her stomach, releasing a licking warmth along her limbs. "Wow. I never quite got used to the taste of Bourbon. Thanks, Mrs. Kent."

The apartment was silent for another half hour. Shelby stuck to Clark's heels as the man paced. The dog whimpered every so often at the absence of his two playmates. The group continued to sort and stack, each flicking their eyes to Clark as if he were a grenade with the pin waiting to be pulled. Clark finally collapsed into the recliner with a growl, startling both Martha and Lana. He rested his elbows on his knees and planted his face in his hands.

"What happened?" Clark asked in a guttural tone, muffled by his large hands. "I need to know what happened. I left her with all of you. I thought she'd be safe. How did this happen?"

Oliver glanced around, silently offering to speak on the League's behalf. "We were all standing around talking and then, the last thing I remember, was a loud clap of thunder and then I was down for the count. The next thing I know, I'm waking up on the floor and Chloe and the boys were gone."

"Chloe and I were at the sink," Lana took up, filling in some of the blanks Oliver left. "Something. . . happened and Oliver went down. Then AC, Dinah, Victor and Bart. There was some sort of vapor coming out of the vent. That one over there." Lana pointed. Clark lifted his head to look as Oliver walked over and ripped the vent off the wall. Clark came over and both men felt around the sides.

"I got something," Oliver said. He pulled out a medium sized oxygen tank. It had a crude, home-made timer on it. "Looks almost like a bomb."

"You think it's empty?" Clark asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances," Oliver answered. He took the canister over to the counter and withdrew a hammer from under the sink. Swinging it, he busted the timer on it, causing both AC and Dinah to flinch. From opposite sides of the room, Clark and Oliver looked to Lana again.

"Chloe ran over to Bart and Victor and then started to go down herself. That's when she sent me to find you, Clark," Lana continued. Lois looked from Lana to Oliver to Clark. She wondered, not for the first time since meeting Clark Kent years ago, why everyone turned to Clark when times of trouble came. She still didn't understand why the bumbling farm boy was a part of Oliver's League, although bumbling was not quite the right word for the man who was currently prowling the living room. But what good would Clark have been against a good shot of general anesthesia? If the rest of them had been effected, surely Clark didn't stand a chance either.

"I took the stairs to get away from the gas. I hid in the stairwell and watched through the little window. Lex came in, pointing a gun at Connor and Kaid and then at Chloe. He whispered something to her and then picked her up. She'd passed out by then. He was with another man, a Doug Weimar. He used to work with Lex at Luthorcorp, I don't know what he does now. Lex took Chloe and Doug had the boys by the collar," Lana finished.

Clark stopped pacing. He turned to face Lana, staring at her from across the room. "You mean, you watched Lex come in here, take Chloe and her children and you didn't try and stop it?"

"Clark, I couldn't. The gas-"

Clark's raised voice drowned out Lana's excuse. "Couldn't or wouldn't, Lana?"

Lana's eyes swam with tears and Martha gasped a shocked, "Clark!" Despite her earlier sentiments, Lois stood to her feet. "What could she have done, Clark? What kind of match is she against Lex's gun? And if Lana had stepped in who's to say Lex would show any mercy toward his ex-wife? Lana would have been dead and Chloe would still be missing!"  
Clark's jaw clenched and he looked at Lois with dark anger. Lois held her ground, refusing to give in to Clark's uncalled for temper-tantrum. "If you have any hidden agendas to being here, Lana, and you're using Chloe as some kind of bait, I swear, I'll-"

"You'll what, Clark?" Lana growled, flying to her feet. Everyone looked on, watching the train barrel ahead but powerless to stop it. "How dare you even question my being here. I came here because I was asked, because I was needed. Chloe is the closest thing to family I have left. I may have made my share of mistakes and questionable choices in the past, but I would neverabandon Chloe when she needed me the most."

Lana stared at Clark, daring him to contradict her. The tension left his body in one long exhale. All the spectators breathed their own relieved sighs. "I'm sorry, Lana," Clark apologized.

"It's okay, Clark," Lana replied. "I know how much she means to you." Her own voice caught and Lana cleared her throat, feeling ashamed at the inappropriate stab of jealousy that went through her stomach. Lana sat back down on the couch looking down at the papers scattered on the coffee table. Clark did the same, returning to the recliner.

"How did they get in to plant it?" Bart asked tentatively, gently reminding them they still had investigating to attend to. "Since we got back from Russia, Oliver's had this place along with Watchtower covered with so many suits I feel like the President lives here."

"Suits you can trust?" Lois questioned. "No offense, Krenshaw."

"None taken, Miss Lane."

"Yes," Oliver answered immediately. "I hand picked most of my men. Krenshaw and Allistor have been with me since my parents, well, their dads were and then them. But, they know what the group does and have never compromised us to anyone, even their own families."

"Then how did they get in, Oliver?" Dinah voiced. "You've coded the elevator and all other entrances. When has this place ever been empty long enough for someone to break in and plant that canister? Do you know how much time they would need to take down your security systems? Two days if they were average, one if they were a techno-whiz."

"I don't know," Oliver answered, rubbing the back of his neck. He resumed Clark's pacing, following the pattern he'd begun to wear into the stone floor. "When the farm house got trashed, I immediately had my guys come over and do a quick sweep before I gave the go ahead for Chloe and the boys to come here. The next day, when the loft was empty, I had them to do a more in-depth sweep. They didn't find anything."

"Who all swept the apartment, Oliver?"

Oliver met Clark's eyes. "Allistor, Krenshaw and Stafford. They're my three top guys."

"We had a fourth, Mr. Queen," Krenshaw broke in. He was now the center of attention.

"What do you mean there was a fourth?" Oliver questioned, tension making his frame rigid.  
Krenshaw visibly paled and pulled on his tie. "He was from the firm you hired to keep watch while you were in Russia. I just thought you'd forgotten to call and cancel with all the excitement. He offered to stay and help with the sweep. I thought we could use an extra set of eyes so I called and checked with the firm to make sure he was indeed employed and he was." He swallowed nervously.

"What firm did you hire, Oliver?" Clark asked, although he already knew the answer.

Oliver closed his eyes and gripped the back of the bar stool. "The same place that does the security for Isis. Damn it!" He grabbed a shot glass and threw it against the wall. It shattered and fell to the floor.

Clark and Lois looked at each other. "Doug," they said in unison.

"I need another drink," Lois said. She got up and poured some more Bourbon into her glass. Clark watched her movements closely. "Want some, Clark?"

Clark joined her at the counter and took the bottle from her. He read the back. "Nana's Down Home Southern Style Egg Nog," Clark whispered.

"Clark, before Weimars' Inc. moved to the Distillery they opened up outside of Topeka in 2010, the old one was located out on Route 9 halfway between Granville and Smallville. The family owned a house a few miles from the Distillery. Doug still lives in the house. It's a little east of Lander's Field."

Clark turned the bottle over. "Weimar's Wild Turkey." Clark looked up at Oliver. "I know where they took her."

* * *

Her mouth tasted like sour milk. Chloe gagged and tried to spit, but she couldn't. Darting her tongue out to lick her lips, it met a scratchy material and the sour milk flavor intensified. She was gagged. Chloe tried to open her eyes but her eyelids felt as if they weighed a hundred pounds. Her lashes fluttered, showing her tiny glimpses of a eggshell colored room. She tried to lift her hands to rub her eyes but they wouldn't move. In fact, she couldn't feel her hands. Chloe forced her eyes open. The scene before was blurry. With concentration, she focused. Looking down, she saw her wrists were lashed to the arms of an oak dining chair with duct tape. Her hands were a red-purplish from the slow blood flow. Her ankles were also done in the same fashion to two legs of the chair. Chloe lifted her head and took in her surroundings.

The room looked as if it were a small office with bland walls and a slick cement floor. There was a large window a few feet from her. She wasn't close enough to see what it looked down upon, be it a hallway or something else. There was a lone desk in the corner, bare except for some disorganized papers, one stapler and some pens and pencils. A man sat facing the wall behind it, rocking back and forth on the black office chair he was seated in. Craning her neck around, Chloe didn't see any others in the room. Listening closely, she didn't hear anything else except her breathing and the man's chair creaking. As quietly as she could, Chloe began to move, trying to loosen her sticky restraints. The chair creaked again and the man turned.

"Chloe," Doug Weimar said brightly, although the smile he gave her didn't reach his eyes. He looked pale and shaken as he stood from his chair and stepped over to her. "You don't mind if I call you Chloe, do you? Seeing as I don't work for you anymore." He as dressed in a nice pair of jeans with shoes caked in red mud with a dark green shirt filled out in all the right places. Chloe stiffened as she came face to face with the man who tried to kill her not even two days before. He leaned his hips against the ledge of the window, crossing his arms over his chest and hooking his ankles.

"I bet," he mused, laying an index finger next to his mouth. He was trying to summon up the bravado with which he'd dealt with them in the loft, but Chloe could tell something had changed him. She wondered fearfully what had brought about the hollowness in his eyes. "I bet you're wondering why you're here. So am I, truthfully, but Lex insisted he had to have you. That only you may hold the key to making this project work. But all I see before me is an average woman. Although, you can't be all that average with the sons you have. What are they made out of?"

Chloe's eyes went wide and her hands gripped the arms of the chair, turning her red knuckles white. A cold dread filled her as she thought of her children, their frightened little faces swimming in her mind. She bit down on the gag, regretting it as the urge to vomit took over.

"That's all right, you don't have to answer. Lex will know soon enough. They sliced some skin off and ten seconds later, not even a mark. I guess they got their healing ability from you, right? Lex told me you had the power to heal others by touching them, taking their injury onto yourself. Pretty impressive. But that's not all they can do is it?" Doug's eyes, even as dead looking as they were before, sparked with interest. He pushed off from the wall. He squatted down before her, until they were eye to eye, only inches from her. "Everyone else in that room went out like a busted lightbulb. Except for your sons," Doug said, true wonder lacing his voice.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. There was something almost innocent in his face. A door opened and another person entered the room behind them.

"She awake?" Chloe recognized Lex's clipped tones.

"Yep. For about five minutes I'd say," Doug answered. Chloe raised her eyebrows in question when Doug discreetly squeezed her forearm before backing away from her.

"Get rid of the gag," Lex ordered. Doug complied, undoing the scrap of foul tasting material from behind her head. Chloe gasped in lungfulls of clean air to rid the taste on her tongue. Doug tossed the gag on the desk as Lex came around and took the place in front of the window.

"Hi, Chloe. It's good to see you again," Lex greeted her. He was skinnier than she remembered, which was hard to believe since he'd always been very lean. He was still bald but had age lines running along his mouth and around his eyes. He was clean-shaven and fresh looking in a blue silk shirt tucked into a pair of black dress pants. The sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing the fine red hair that covered his arms.

"I wish I could say the same, Lex," Chloe replied waspishly.

"When was the last time we saw each other? Wasn't I firing you from the Daily Planet?" Lex asked smugly.

"Actually I think you were being hauled away in a pretty pair of shiny handcuffs. Stripes always did look so good on you, Lex."

"I see you still have that unfortunate mouth on you. You would be such a more pleasant person if it weren't for your ability speak."

"Same goes for you. At least not every word out of my mouth are outrageous lies, though."

"You're right, Chloe. You always were brutally honest," Lex admitted. "Except when it came to Clark Kent."

Chloe clenched her teeth and lifted her chin.

"See," Lex shook a finger at her, a small grin at the corners of his mouth at her reaction. "I always knew you were hiding something for him. You know, I always regretted us not getting closer after I rescued from the Yukon. Who knows," Lex left the window and prowled around her, running his finger along her jaw. Chloe jerked her head away from his touch. He circled the behind the chair and then bent at the waist, placing his mouth next to her ear. "Maybe things would have turned out differently."

"What do you want from me, Lex?" Chloe asked.

"I want a lot of things, Chloe," Lex stood again and began to pace. "Most of all, I want my life back. I hated prison. Do you know what it's like for guys like me in prison?" He looked at Chloe. She could see something ugly staring back at her. "I'll spare you the gory details. I don't want to relive them myself. I was a weakling. Someone else's b****. I was in a place where the name 'Luthor' wasn't worth a damn. I wasn't physically intimidating. I was no longer connected and I almost bankrupted myself. If it hadn't been for a few loyal friends I would have been chained in that infernal place until I died, constantly bullied and beat by my inferiors. And even though I'm out, my life is still not my own. Chloe," Lex groaned her name, falling to his knees in front of her. "For your sake and for the sake of the world, I need that bracelet. For the sake of your sons, I need you to tell me where you hid it."

"I honestly don't know, Lex. I don't have it anymore."

"What happened to it then?"

"I gave it to someone. What they did with it, I have no idea."

"That's not a good enough answer, Chloe," Lex said with a shake of his head.

"What do want to hear, Lex?" Chloe asked with exasperation. "I have no reason to lie to you. You have my children. Why would I do anything to endanger them?"

"You mean, yours and Clark's children?"

Chloe held his eyes as she fought hard not to throw up on Lex's shoes.

"Appearances may deceive, but birth certificates don't. Tell me, Chloe, why did you have Clark's name removed a few years ago?"

Chloe clamped her mouth shut, refusing to answer.

"You covered your tracks well. You had the state remove the father's name and then re-submitted the new copy to the insurance company, the hospital records and the social security board. You want to know the one little place you forgot? Smallville Elementary. Upon enrolling every child you must present their social security card and a valid birth certificate. You probably didn't think Smallville ISD would release those kind of records without your permission, did you? The SSA certainly wouldn't and neither would your medical insurance thanks to stricter HIP-AA laws. So it was safe to leave just one original copy out there in the world because they wouldn't dare leak information on Smallville's local celebrity children. I thought I was only getting you, but I got so much more! I finally have the key to unlocking all the mysteries around Clark Kent. I know they will certainly come in handy for later."

"Lex, please-" Chloe started to beg. For the first time since hearing Lex was out of prison was she truly terrified.

"Begging is so far beneath you, Chloe!" Lex exclaimed. Chloe bit down on her tongue. "Plus, it won't help you. If you really want to ensure your sons are treated humanly, tell me where the bracelet is."

"I told you I don't know! I don't know!" Chloe screamed. "I don't know, Lex! Please, I want to see my sons. I'll do anything you say, just let me see my children, Lex. Please!"

Lex threw up his hands. "Fine. Untie her, Doug, but watch her." Lex stalked from the room.

Doug reached behind him and pulled out a small pocket knife. He sawed through the tape and then ripped the two pieces away from her skin causing Chloe to wince as it stung. Once she was unhindered, Doug took her arm and pulled her up. He held her up for a moment as the feeling came back to her legs, tiny pin pricks up and down her legs. Keeping his hand on her arm, Doug walked her over to the window. Chloe regarded him as he gently held her upper arm. Chloe peered down. A sob caught in her throat.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Doug replied flatly.

Chloe looked at him again, shooting daggers with her eyes. "They're only babies. How can you do this to innocent children?" Chloe turned back to the window, placing her palms on the Plexiglas window. Far below her, her sons were strapped to cold, metal lab tables in a large room with three white coats huddled in front of a computer in the far corner of the room. She knew, with one flick of their wrists and a step of a foot they could be gone. But they were scared and lost and she knew they wouldn't use their powers without her permission. Her greatest fear, for Connor and Kaid, even Clark, was playing out before her very eyes.

"You'll never get away with this," Chloe snarled, her tears tasting salty on her tongue.

"He already has," Doug said wearily. Chloe almost believed the sincere look of his face. "Don't you see, Chloe? No matter what Luthor says, you and your sons will never make it out of here. Alive or dead. And neither will I."

So that was it. Doug had realized he'd been a fool to ever believe he and Lex were partners. After all Doug had seen and done, he'd become too much of a liability. He was a dead man walking. Lex Luthor only knew how to do two things. To kill and destroy.

Chloe reached out and laid her hand on his arm. "Help me and my children get out of here and I can promise you, you will be safe from him."

"You don't understand," Doug whispered, looking around covertly. "It's not just Lex."

"Black Skye?"

"How did you know?"

"I have some pretty powerful friends. They've been monitoring Lex's activity since he before he broke out of prison. They can help you. They can hide you from Black Skye."

Doug looked down upon her and Chloe knew he was scared. Something in this place had finally changed him. In the small amount of time from Chloe falling under at the loft to waking up in the office with Doug now, something profound had happened to the man before her. The limitless compassion she'd been known for surfaced, causing Chloe's continued hold on his hand. "He's gotten worse."

"Who? Lex?" Chloe questioned.

"No," Doug said, his eyes still on hers, looking almost a manic black. "I thought I could handle it. I thought if I just focused on all the money and saving my own skin, that I could do it. Planting a bomb is one thing. Pressing a button that releases gas into a room is another. But watching person after endless person being ripped to shreds. . ." Doug trailed off, turning green. "Black Skye isn't the only thing we have to worry about."

"Tell me what Lex is working on. Whatever it is, we can stop it, Doug," Chloe told him fiercely.

"No, you can't."

Chloe and Doug jumped. They both turned sharply to see Lex leaning in the doorway.

"You're right, Doug. None of you will ever see the light if day again, but I can't kill either of you just yet. Chloe, come with me." Lex strode forward and yanked her away from Doug.

Lex drug her out of the small room and down a flight of stairs. Chloe sprinted to keep up with Lex's long strides, trying her best not to fall. They were soon in a maze of hallways, each leading farther and farther away from the lab. Farther and farther away from Connor and Kaid. Finally, Lex and Chloe stumbled down five flights of stairs. They arrived before a massive set of double doors, a sturdy oak with an intricate design on each door. Turning one of the old brass handles, Lex opened the door and threw Chloe inside before him. All Chloe saw was darkness. And then her eyes adjusted.

"No. . ." She could now make out rows and rows of lab tables, just like at Reeve's Dam, just to a smaller scale. Chloe smelt the earthy scent of the dirt below her feet and felt the cool temperature. They were in some sort of underground chamber. One either side of the warehouse sized room were colossal wooden round crates, the kind used in the fermenting stage of Bourbon now gathering dust from neglect. With horror, she could make out both men and women strapped to the tables, a chunk of green Kryptonite set on their chests, glowing faintly. At their temples were wires hooking them up to monitors that detected brain activity. Currently, there were none on any of the closest ones to Chloe. She whirled on Lex. "These are people, Lex! People with families and friends and souls! How could you? It didn't work the first time, how the hell is it supposed to work this time? How many innocent lives are you willing to sacrifice for this?"

"Just one more," Lex said darkly. He grabbed her arm again and marched her toward the back of the large room. "When that wraith abandoned the little boy it took hold of somebody else. Why was Clark's DNA the only one who could be duplicated, Chloe? The phantom was able to take the shape of Clark and only Clark, where he would drain the other hosts he found. Why, Clark? How was Clark's DNA able to give form to the wraith and why was he the host the wraith had searched the world for?" Lex jabbed her back as they walked, pushing and prodding her past the helpless experiments on the tables. Chloe looked ahead. At the very back was a make-shift cage. There were bars at the top, evenly spaced with a solid bottom. Something was prowling the confines of it's tiny cell. How was Lex able to keep it contained if it was what Chloe thought it was? She squinted her eyes. It wasn't large enough to be Clark's bizarre phantom twin, who Chloe knew to be destroyed. "Now, with the help of your sons' DNA and this one's, I finally have a chance of replicating it. Hopefully, with more control this time. Thanks to you."

"You keep saying that, Lex, but I can't help you. I could only heal and that had disappeared. I don't have the bracelet and I don't know where it is. This is a lost cause!" Chloe yelled back at him. They were almost to the cage now. The thing inside had seen them and stopped pacing. Chloe couldn't make it out but knew it was watching them, could feel it's eyes taking in her every move.

"But you are your mother's daughter. I didn't fall far from the tree. Let's hope you didn't either." Chloe knew Lex was desperate, grasping at straws for anything to work. Lex caught hold of her arm, holding her tightly so she couldn't run, digging his fingers into the sweatshirt she wore. The thing had now retreated to the back of the tiny space, squatting on the floor, it's dark head bowed. Lex punched in a numbered code on the crude keypad lock on the door. The door swung open and he pushed Chloe inside, standing right at her back to keep her in the cage with the thing huddled in the corner.

"He's imperfect and unpredictable. It seems when the Green Arrow and his hoodlums blew up my lab in Russia, I lost whatever original DNA samples I had to splice together to counteract his unruly nature. Your mother's included. And without that blue meteor rock, there is no way to control him. That is, unless you possess the same unique qualities your mother did."

"Lex," Chloe groaned through clenched teeth. "I already told you, whatever abilities I had, they are gone now."

"Let's see. Chloe, I'd like you to meet AresTester972. Or, as you once knew him, Davis Bloome."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Lex kept his hands at Chloe's back, keeping her in front of him as a human barrier between him and the squatting man on the floor. The man lifted his dark head and peered at the two of them with dead eyes.

"You said you wouldn't bring her here," he rasped.

"Well, I say a lot of things," Lex spat back at him. With a shove, he trapped Chloe inside with Davis and clanged the metal cage door shut. Chloe hit the bars with closed fists.

_"You're a monster! You're a monster!" _She screamed, over and over as Lex backed away, observing. If Tess Mercer's journals were to be believed about the calming ability Chloe possessed over Davis, then even if she could not control other meta-humans as her mother did, she could at least provide Lex with the time he needed to find something to exert some kind of control over Davis.

Lex watched closely. Seeing as her screaming was doing no good, Chloe turned hesitantly toward the man in the corner. With halting steps, she approached him and knelt beside him, laying her hand upon his knee. She whispered something to him and Davis' head sank lower. His interest piqued when Chloe grasped Davis' hand between her own and Davis lifted his eyes to hers, tears glistening.

_She knows where that bracelet is, _Lex kept telling himself. _She has too. _Maybe setting Davis loose on her boys would loosen her mouth. Fleetingly, Lex wondered what was taking Dr. Ball so long with the DNA results. If the twins' strains matched Davis', then Lex would have _three _living samples to work with.

Ten years ago, when Lex found the bizarre version of Clark sitting in his study, he thought the world lay at his feet. In exchange for all the green meteor rock he could get his hands on, the Phantom or "Clark", as he preferred to be called, would give Lex a sample of his DNA to continue his research.

Lex called one of the many scientists he had on hand. They came in and tried to take a DNA sample. Needles kept breaking off until finally the Phantom produced a small, bumpy looking blue rock from his pocket. Throwing it a few feet from him with great effort, he told one of the men to hold it a few inches from him and try again. Doing as he was told, one man held the rock while the other inserted a needle into one of the many pulsing veins in the Phantom's forearm. Withdrawing a small vial of blood, Lex instructed one of the men to pocket the stone. The stone later disappeared until it resurfaced again on the arm of Chloe Sullivan, years later in a gossip column photo.

All the research and time Lex thought he'd wasted on a foolish project became validated as he gazed hungrily at the rock on Chloe's arm. How had it disappeared from him in the first place? How had Chloe come to possession of it? Did she even know what it meant? Lex knew she did now, otherwise she wouldn't be risking the lives of her and her children by hiding it from him.

Once the blood was safely stored and on it's way back to a hidden Level 33.1 site, Lex produced the small stash of refined green meteor rock he'd kept in his safe. The Phantom downed the liquid like it was happy hour at the Wild Coyote. With a gruesome smile, he waved good-bye to Lex and swaggered out the double doors. Lex never saw him again. He would still be wondering why if he hadn't overheard his own father tutoring the real Clark Kent on how to take the Phantom down in his LuthorCorp office that same night. The blue meteor rock, something called Kryptonite, would weaken him.

All would have been fine, even with the Phantom destroyed. Lex had his sample. He could dissect it, manipulate it, replicate it. When he escaped to Russia, the vial of blood tightly bound to his chest, he had high hopes for the future. The Traveler, who ever he may be, in case he prevailed over TLEX6N, Lex had a back-up plan to defeat him and save the world. When his minions found Tess' journals in the mansion not a few years ago, Lex knew his mission had not been accomplished. The Traveler seemed to still be active and there was yet another new threat in the world. Something Tess called 'Doomsday', The Traveler's greatest enemy. A man who went by the human name Davis Bloome.

Tess' journals were very detailed. It seemed she knew both 'Doomsday' and The Traveler by name, although Lex never gleaned The Traveler's true identity even after many meticulous readings of the pages. She only referred to Davis Bloome once and after, only as 'Doomsday', tracking both of the men and their activities and the company they kept. One entry in particular, was very enlightening. Lex recalled it from memory.

_"April 12th, 2009._

_Doomsday and The Traveler circle around and around the same woman, their attraction and affection for her blinding them both to their true purpose. She seems to have a strange calming effect for the beast within Doomsday. The Traveler is becoming more agitated by her growing connection to this man. Be it concern or jealousy or maybe both that drives The Traveler to distraction, I don't know. She will be the key to both their undoings. I must be patient. Chloe Sullivan will bring both men to their knees. It's only a matter of time." _

The many journals went on to relate how a team of vigilantes, no doubt the same team who had so fun much blowing up his labs and threw him in jail, somehow overcame Doomsday, separating the monster from his human shell. Davis was then shipped off, under the protection of Queen Industries and an assumed name Lex had easily found. It was like the final puzzle pieces were coming together. All his original prototypes had been destroyed by the flood through Reeve's Dam but he was being given a second chance. A chance to do it right and make no mistakes. But one had been made. A dangerous one. Davis had been tracked down and captured. Lex had meant to have the bracelet before Davis was injected with the one and final DNA sample Lex still had from the Phantom. Only communication had broken down. Davis' DNA had been spliced and the consequences were starting to add up.

While Davis did not reject the DNA sample, he had side-effects. He could shoot fire from his eyes, lift tons and tons, run like the wind and soar like an eagle. His skin was unbreakable. All these were what Lex had wanted. But when he got near sunlight, he was weakened somehow. To even be near sunlight, he needed a piece of green meteor rock to hold or attached to him somehow. His violent tendencies, which were coming around more often, were either a reaction to the DNA splicing or a left-over trait from Doomsday. After Davis gained his abilities, the only way Lex was able to control him was the mention of Chloe and something terrible happening to her and her sweet little family, but even those weren't working as they used to. Davis would still murder when the urge overcame him and there was nothing to stop him. Chloe and the bracelet were Lex's last hope at controlling the beast he'd created.

Behind him doors swung open and closed, Dr. Ball sprinting toward him. Davis and Chloe watched him as well and Lex hurried to intercept him.

"What? What do you know?" Lex questioned aggressively.

"They are a match," Dr. Ball wheezed. "The boys' DNA strains are almost exactly the same. Half human and half non-human."

Lex's smile was short lived as he heard a roar behind him and the grind of metal being twisted.

* * *

_"You're a monster! You're a monster!"_

All Lex did was stare at her. It was clear nothing would break through to him. And her children. What would he do to her sons? She had to get to them, order them away, to run and never look back at this forsaken place. She dropped her shoulders in defeat and turned. Davis peered at her. Chloe gulped a few breaths of air. She hadn't seen Davis since Oliver and Clark had packed him off to Canada.

Clark nor Oliver had understood her empathy for Davis. To them, he was the moster who killed her busband. To her, he was the man trapped within and trying to be free. Chloe knew about that. She knew what it was like to be afraid of something that lurked within you. Jimmy would have wanted Chloe to help Davis, to help him live a normal life. And Chloe refused to let any other wife, girlfriend or lover witness the man she loved die while she couldn't do anything to stop it. She would not allow herself to lose Clark along with Jimmy. She would never recover from a blow of that kind. So her and Davis went on the run, Chloe able to keep the darkness inside him at bay.

_"Come with me," Davis implored, finally separated from Doomsday who was buried deep under the crust of the Earth. Chloe looked into his warm, brown eyes. She could. She could drop everything and begin a new life. One where no one looked at her with pity and she wasn't hounded day in and day out by the memories of the man she'd lost and the one she was continually losing. _

_The two of them stood outside the private jet Oliver hired to fly Davis to his new life. The Justice League stood a few feet away, each discreetly watching her. All but one. Chloe turned her head again, meeting Clark's eyes. His features, bloody from the fight but healed, were stony and impassive. He had not been happy when Chloe insisted on seeing Davis to the tarmac or saying good-bye. For a moment, Chloe wanted to say yes. She turned back to Davis, who was holding her hands tightly in his. _

_"Davis-" Chloe heard a shuffle behind her. Looking quickly, she saw Oliver holding one of Clark's arms, as if restraining him. The impassive expression had dropped and Clark gazed at her with beseeching eyes. He needed her. And she needed him. It was that simple. Chloe turned back to Davis. "I wish I could, but I'm needed here. I belong here. You need to find where you belong."_

_Davis ducked his head. "I'm sorry, Chloe. For everything."_

_"It wasn't you," Chloe laid a hand on his cheek and pulled his face up. "And I forgive you."_

Chloe watched Davis warily. What had Lex done to him? She didn't understand. How had Lex found him? Oliver had went over Davis' new identity with a fine tooth comb, making sure nothing could tie him back to the paramedic who used to live in Metropolis.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. For everything," Davis apologized. His voice was raspier, deeper than she remembered.

Slowly, Chloe approached him.

"Don't," Davis ordered. He shrank more against the wall.

Chloe didn't listen. She hit her knees on the cement floor beside him, laying a hand on his knee cap. "Davis, what has he done to you?"

Davis' chin met his chest. "I don't know," he sobbed. "It's worse than Doomsday, Chloe. I can-can remember what I've-what I've done to people."

He broke down and began to cry softly. Chloe needed to know what was happening. She gripped his knee harder. "Davis, how did Lex find you?"

"I don't know," he answered after a big breath. "I went to bed one night in my apartment and then woke up the next morning in a cage."

"Do you know what they did to you?"

"I think I was drugged somehow."

"When did they take you? When did you get here?"

"I can't tell you. After the first few days and then the procedure they did on me, time began to run together. As far as I know, I could have been here a week or a year."

Chloe's heart jumped up into her throat. "What procedure, Davis? What did they do to you?"  
Davis looked at Chloe in the weak light, his eyes shining like black diamonds. "You don't want to know, Chloe."

"Yes I do. I _need _to know. What has Lex done to you?"

"It wasn't Lex. He didn't show up until a short time ago. A man by the name of Dr. Mickler did this to me," Davis turned his head away from her. "And he paid for it with his life."

Chloe blinked away the tears. She knew what they'd done to Davis. Lex succeeded. He found the one person who could sustain the DNA Lex had stolen from the Phantom that day at Reeve's Dam. "Oh god, Davis." Chloe put a hand to her mouth. She looked out at all the other still bodies in the room. Her stomach rolled. Lex was planning to harvest DNA from Davis to give to those people. "Is it like when you were tied to Doomsday? What exactly-"

"I have these urges. Urges to-" Davis broke off again.

"To kill?" Chloe supplied gently for him.

He nodded. "I control it as long as possible but then I lose the battle. And I remember everything. As Doomsday I had black-outs, but now. . . I'm aware of it the whole time. And I can't stop myself," Davis whispered fiercely.

"If you have all your powers back, why haven't you broken out?"

"You," Davis muttered.

"Me?"

"Lex threatened to hurt you if I didn't stay put. So I have."

Chloe furrowed her brow. How could Lex know about Davis' feelings for her? Chloe still didn't understand how Lex knew about Davis. And all this time, Davis had let his feelings for Chloe keep him here, enduring only God knew what. "We have to get you out of here."

"Chloe, I can't leave," Davis responded almost frantically. "I said earlier that Lex made me stay but that was before. I am too dangerous. I have to stay here. My love for you is sometimes the only thing that. . ."

Chloe reached out and clutched one of his hands between her own.

"It's the only thing that reminds me I'm not a total monster. Beasts don't know how to love," he finished quietly.

Chloe squeezed his hand tighter. "Davis, he has my children. If you can get us out of here, I promise I can give you the thing Lex is searching for to control you," she finished very quietly.

A glimmer of hope sparked in Davis' eyes. "You can?"

Chloe nodded. "But we have to get out of here."

"Chloe, I don't know if it'll come back again. If it does, I can't promise I can control it. If I can't, I want you to leave me here. Run and don't look back. Do you understand me?"

"Davis, I-"

"Do you understand me? Do you promise you'll run?"

Chloe bit her lip. "I promise."

The heavy wooden doors opened and closed. Both Davis and Chloe craned their necks to see through the bars. A short, wiry man hurried toward Lex as Lex did the same.

"What are they saying?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know," Davis replied.

Chloe looked at him. "Listen."

Davis frowned and then his eyebrows shot upward. "I can hear them!"

"And?"

Davis looked at Chloe, screwing his face in confusion. "He said they match. The boys' DNA are half human and half non-human."

They had run the DNA strains against Davis'. Lex knew now. Lex knew the boys' were similar to the strain they spliced with Davis. Lex knew Clark was similar. "I have to get to my sons!" Chloe whispered franctically.

A roar sounded to her left and Chloe jumped as Davis surged to his feet and bent the bars of his cage effortlessly. He was through them in a heartbeat. Chloe scampered to her feet and followed. Davis was at the end. The short man was on the floor a few feet away, unmoving, and Lex was dangling a few feet off the ground, his feet kicking wildly as his hands grappled with the one strangling his neck. His face was slowly turning purple and his movements were becoming more erractic.

"Davis!" Chloe cried. Davis looked to her. Chloe gasped when she saw his eyes. The black of the pupil seeped, coloring the entire eye socket a inky black and Chloe knew she was gazing into the eyes of the demon that possessed his DNA.

"It can all be over," a voice, a growling, evil voice slithered along her spine. Davis turned his head back to Lex who was looking at Chloe, pleading silently with her. "With one little move, it can all be over. You'll be safe from him."

Chloe hated that she was tempted. The world would be safe. Connor and Kaid would be safe. Clark would be safe. Lex's eyes were glazing over. In just a couple of minutes, seconds maybe, the world would finally be free of Alexander Luthor.

It was an easy decision.

Chloe reached out, laying a small, trembling hand on Davis' shoulder. "Put him down, Davis. You don't want to kill him."

Davis squeezed tighter.

"Davis," Chloe said more firmly. "Do not let him turn you into a monster. If you kill Lex, you'll be no better than he is. You can control this. Put him down."

Chloe watched Davis' arm twitch. She held her breath. Lex's head lolled to the side. Davis lowered him. Lex crumpled to the floor, unmoving like the scientist. Chloe knelt quickly, checking his pulse. It was thready, but there. Titlting her face upward, Chloe looked at Davis. His eyes had returned to their haunted normalcy as Davis gazed down at Lex, trembling. Standing to her feet, she grabbed Davis' arm.

"Come on. We need to get back to the main lab. Once I get my sons out of here, I'll call backup and have them clean this place up and take out the garbage," Chloe told him with a look to Lex. She pulled Davis behind her, walking quickly by the bodies, not sparing them a glance. "Then we'll get out of here and I'll get you taken care of. Okay?"

Davis stopped, pulling Chloe to face him. "I ruined your wedding, killed your husband, basically kidnapped you and you still help me. I'm the reason Lex has brought you and your sons here. You don't know when I could turn on you. Why do continue to help me?"

"Because I prefer to believe in people," Chloe answered with a watery smile. "Now, let's go."

* * *

"Let's head on over to Watchtower and we'll get a plan together there," Oliver suggested. Everyone in the room began to move, gathering papers and shrugging into jackets. "Krenshaw, you stay here with Martha and Lois."

"I think I'm little too old for baby-siiters, but thanks for the thought, Ollie," Lois admonished as she pulled her long hair out from under the collar of her coat. "Besides, I'm going with you."  
The entire room stilled at Lois' statement. All eyes flicked between Oliver and Lois.

"What?" Lois asked the room at large. She glared at Oliver. "I'm going. Chloe is my family and so are her sons. I'm going."

"Guys, why don't you go on? I'll meet you there," Oliver said. Everyone shuffled out and into the elevator. Martha and Krenshaw stepped out onto the balcony. Oliver stepped over to Lois, gripping her hands in his.

"Lois-"

"No, Oliver. I am going," Lois repeated forcefully. "I can not sit here, twiddling my thumbs on this couch when I know that Chloe and _you _are in danger! And I can help! I know almost all there is to know about Project Ares! Please, Oliver, let me help."

Oliver smiled at Lois and pulled her close, tucking her head against his shoulder. He held her for a moment before murmuring softly, "I love you, Lois. I love you so much. Did you know that?"

Lois lifted her head, gazing back at Oliver. "I do now."

"Do you love me?" He asked.

Lois nodded. "I love you, Oliver."

"Then I need you to stay here," Oliver said.

Lois opened her mouth.

"I love you and I want to know you're safe. You love me and you want me to do my job safely, right?" Oliver asked her.

Lois nodded again.

"Knowing that you're here, safe and waiting for me, I'll be able to focus on what I need to do. I won't be distracted by worrying over where you are or what you've gotten yourself into. For Chloe's safety and mine, please stay and wait for me. Plus, we need you to keep Martha's mind off the thought of her entire family being in the Lion's Den. Will you do that for me?"

Lois bit her lip in debate. Oliver held her waist tighter. She looked up at him from underneath her lashes. "You love me?" She asked with a sly smile.

"I love you."

"Then I'll stay." Lois leaned in and nuzzled Oliver's neck.

"Hey, one more question," Oliver rumbled. Lois pulled back and looked at him. Oliver pointed at his cheek. "Did you hit me?"

* * *

Chloe and Davis made their way along the maze of hallways Lex had dragged her down earlier. The stark hallways all looked the same. Chloe shivered, from the temperature or fear or both, she couldn't tell. She walked briskly along, looking all around, deliberating each turn. Davis followed a few feet behind, his ears cocked and ready.

"Listen for heartbeats, breathing, anything. You'll be able to hear them," Chloe had told him.

"We're getting closer," Davis said, causing Chloe to start slightly.

"What do you hear?"

Davis stopped for a moment. "Whirring. Pulses. Voices, but I can't make out what they're saying. All the heart beats are steady, too."

That didn't help Chloe. Clark's heart beat was always steady except under the influence of Kryptonite. She didn't know if Connor and Kaid's would be the same or if her two little troopers were keeping calm. She glanced at her watch. Ten minutes had passed. It had only taken Lex maybe five minutes to lead her from the office to the room with the bodies. They were lost. How long Lex would be out for? Chloe turned to Davis.

"What abilities do you have?" Chloe asked him.

"Strength, speed, hearing obviously, heat vision and I can fly," Davis rattled off.

"Can you see through things?" By the look on Davis' face, Chloe knew that ability was either untapped right now or Davis didn't possess it. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. "I want you to concentrate on that wall. Tell me what you see."

Davis squinted.

"Anything?"

Davis shook his head. "Just the wall."

Chloe took a deep breath. "I want you to look at that wall and imagine what's behind it. Relax your eyes, let them un-focus but concentrate. I don't know exactly how it works. . ." she trailed off.

A few minutes passed.

"I see something," Davis murmured.

"What?" Chloe asked excitedly.

"An empty room."

"Okay," Chloe said, rubbing her hands together. "Remember what you're doing right now. Scan the rest of the hallway. Try to go further beyond just these walls."

Davis circled slowly, looking up and down and side to side. Chloe knew when he found something. He was facing from the way they'd come, his eyes lifted. There was a stairwell that led up that Chloe went right past. Davis pointed. "Big white room, right over there."

"That's probably it," Chloe turned on her heel and took off for the stairs. Bounding up them, her tiny footfalls were drowned out by Davis' own heavy thuds bouncing off the walls and echoing around them. A restricted sign was mounted on the door. Chloe ignored it and hit the bar. She bounced off it, hitting Davis. Davis steadied her. Stepping in front of her, Davis pushed lightly. The door shot open. The white room lay before them. There was only one scientist now, a younger man with baby features. Terror registered on his face when he saw Davis.

"Please," he pleaded, scrambling away from him. "Please, don't hurt me!"

Chloe stepped in front of Davis. She looked frantically around. The tables were empty. Connor and Kaid were gone. She looked back at the scared man in front of her. "Where are my children?"

"Dr. Wilberg took them."

"Where?" Chloe asked again.

Doug watched Chloe and the specimen, a man named Davis Bloome, from the office window that over-looked the factory floor, their voices sounding tinny as they filtered in through the speakers. This is where hundreds of employees would slap labels on bottles of his family's whiskey. He remembered playing with his brothers here after hours, their father yelling down at them over the PA system. He wished his life had turned out differently. For the first time, he regretted the decisions he'd made. For a few years, his parents had been proud of him. They must have turned over at least three times now in their graves at what he'd done to his family's home. Doug still felt pain over their violent death, but he wondered how taking more innocent lives could avenge them? Would they be proud to know their son helped kill, torture and abduct? Chloe clenched her fists. She asked the scientist one more time. Doug grabbed the hand-set on the wall next to him.

"To the holding facility." Doug heard his voice carry through the spacious room.

Chloe looked up sharply while Davis kept his eyes on the young man in the white coat.

"Where _he _was." Doug clarified, pointing down at Davis.

Chloe massaged her temples, probably kicking herself for not staying there. Chloe looked back at Davis.

"We have to go back," Chloe said with defeat. Doug knew it would take her precious time to navigate those hallways again.

"We'll get back to it. I can find it now," Davis reassured her. Doug stood indecisive for a moment. He watched Davis closely. This was the most coherent he'd seen Davis since he'd been brought here. Would he recognize him? Would he know him from the many months Doug disguised himself as Davis' friend only to betray him in the end? Through Mickler, Doug was instructed to take a leave of absence from work and head up to Canada. He was to become close to a man by the name of Jake Young who worked at a hospital in Breton, Alberta. Doug had done as he was told, not knowing in the end he would be the one who injected him with a high dose of morphine to knock him out. For close to a year, Davis had been kept under sedation until the procedure two weeks before Lex broke out of prison. After that, he operated in a haze of lethargy or the high of violence. Doug, fearing what Davis would do if caught sight of him, tried to keep to the shadows. He'd been terrified the night Davis murdered Mickler. That was closest he'd come to Davis since he'd known him in Canada as Jake Young. Now, however, he stood beside Chloe, tame as a house cat. Doug strode to the door and threw it open. Going down two flights of stairs, he arrived at the second entrance a few feet from where Chloe and Davis entered.

The young scientist was creeping along the wall to the opposite exit. He yelped when Doug entered through his door. Chloe and Davis wheeled toward it.

"Doug? What are you doing?" Chloe asked.

"I know a shortcut."

Chloe smiled at him gratefully, motioning Davis to follow. Davis stood rooted in his spot.

"Peter?"

Doug stiffened. Chloe looked fearfully between the two men.

"Peter Williams?" Davis growled.

"Doug, you need to leave," Chloe said calmly. Her eyes never left Davis while Davis' eyes never left Doug.

"Davis, look, man. I didn't know-"

"You helped them put me in this place. You were my _friend!" _Davis shouted.

"Davis-"

"Doug, go now!" Chloe ordered, taking hold of Davis' arm. "Davis, look at me. Look at me!"

Davis growled again, Doug watching as his eyes bled into black. Davis shook his arm, shucking Chloe to the ground. She scrambled up and after him as he threw heavy lab tables out his way to get to Doug.

_"Doug, run!" _Chloe screamed. _"Run!"_

* * *

"Dude, you're making me dizzy. Give the merry-go-round a break, will ya?"

Clark stopped and glared at Bart. They were all milling around Watchtower, waiting on Oliver. Clark had grabbed Victor and AC while Lana grabbed Dinah. By air and by foot, they all arrived within seconds while Oliver stayed behind to dissuade Lois from joining the hunt.

"He won't piddle-fart around, Clark," Lana assured him. "Not with Chloe and the boys with Lex."

"He better not," Clark growled. He resumed his pacing, making a wide circle around the chair Bart was in.

"Here we go with the pacing again," Bart muttered. Clark reached out and very lightly whacked Bart in the back of the skull. "Hey!" Bart whined, rubbing his head.

Clark knew he and Oliver were in the same boat. So why did he feel that Oliver wasn't as anxious to get his sons back as Clark was to get Chloe back? Rubbing the back of his neck, Clark examined the expensive Persian rug that spanned the hard, cement floor. Valuable seconds ticked by as everyone seemed to breathe as loud as they could. Lana tapped her foot, Bart squeaked the chair, Victor whirred softly, Dinah filed her nails and AC clicked a pen. Clark's last nerve threatened to snap under the pressure. In the past, Clark wouldn't be pacing this room like a caged animal. He would flashing along fields and tearing off doors to swoop Chloe into his arms and save her from danger. But that was then. He was smarter now. He had back-up and a support system, no need to hide what he could do. He'd noticed when he worked by himself or went off all half-cocked, there were usually consequences. He didn't miss the consequences but this waiting around was for the birds.

"I'm going to get him," Clark announced, not able to take any more of the groups' nervous waiting habits.

"Clark, he'll get here-"

"He is here," Oliver said as he strode through the door, interrupting Dinah in the midst of her statement.

Clark faced Oliver. "Lois?"

"She's with your mother and Krenshaw."

"Good. You want to get this started?" Clark asked impatiently.

"Why you take point on this one, Clark?"

The group collectively watched the two men.

"Oliver, I didn't mean-"

Oliver shook his head. "I know. I just think you should be the one calling the shots on this one. You think you can handle it? Superman?" A tiny smirk played on Oliver's lips.

"I can handle it." Clark watched Oliver take a seat amongst the others and felt a momentary stage-fright when all seven pair of eyes focused on him. He cleared his throat. "What do we know? We know Lex is involved in something dealing with Project Ares again. Victor, you wanna give the group some details?"

Mechanically, Victor rattled off the stats concerning Lex's past projects and all it entailed.

"Since it is Lex we're dealing with," Clark resumed once Victor finished. "We know nothing will be as it seems. We know there will be meteor rock involved. Lana, I'll be counting on you to neutralize any if you see it."

"Got it," she concurred with a swish of her silver and black pony-tail.

"Now, Victor, can you display the schematics of the distillery?"

Victor looked straight ahead and his right eye glowed red. A shimmery red floor-plan reflected against the wall opposite of Victor.

"The only thing we know for sure is that there a two very large warehouse floors. One on ground level," Clark gestured with his big hand to one area. "And the second is below ground. I'm going to guess this is where Lex is keeping most of the prisoners," Clark gestured with his hand to underground chamber. "It's cool, well-ventilated and from the descriptions we could dig up, this is where the company would store the barrels of liquor while it fermented."

"What about the above ground large area?" AC asked.

"Bottling and labeling." Victor supplied.

"Bart, I want you to do a perimeter check. See what the outside looks like. Cameras, guards, entrances, all that stuff. There is a field, Lander's Field, to the west. That is where we will be," Clark told them. "You'll radio back what you see. The rest, we'll have to play by ear."

"I hate not having a plan," Victor grumbled.

"All right, guys," Oliver said, standing. "Let's get changed and then head out."

* * *

_"Doug, run!" _Chloe screamed. _"Run!"_

Doug continued to stand there and stare at her. Chloe scampered along behind Davis, finally catching onto the tail of his scratchy shirt and pulling. Nothing stopped him and with panic, she knew nothing would, not even her presence. Doug finally heeded her warning and started to run, but Davis was faster. He blocked the door with his body, grabbing Doug by the shoulders and lifting him up. He tossed him easily. Doug landed on one of the overturned lab tables. Chloe switched directions, sprinting over to stand protectively over Doug's motionless form. Davis, snarling and spitting, his eyes demonic and black, strode toward her.

"Davis, no!" she yelled. The beast stopped an inch from her, staring down at her. Chloe squared her shoulders, careful not to let it see the fear that was crouching in her belly. It breathed heavily, the hot, moist air washing her face. Chloe put a beseeching hand out, wondering if she touched it again, would Davis re-emerge. It grabbed her wrist and turned slowly. Chloe bit her lip, refusing to show weakness. "Davis, I know you're in there," she continued, searching the midnight depths of it's eyes, ignoring the pain as her bones threatened to give way. "I know you can hear me. You do not want to hurt Doug. And you do not want to hurt _me."_

The face sneered, bringing his face even closer to hers. "Yes, I do."

* * *

Twenty long minutes later, the group was assembled in the middle of Lander's field, squinting around the darkness surrounding them. Each wore their own League uniform again. Oliver in his green leather, Bart is his red and Dinah in her shiny black. AC stood in his damp green and orange wet suit while Clark and Lana matched in black sweats, Victor in a light looking blue ensemble. Clark's hand was thrust deep in his pocket, fingering the bumpy blue rock. They stood in a tight circle, each activating their ear pieces.

"Impulse, you're on," Clark said.

"Get ready to eat dust," Bart quipped before he was only a fading red flash across the open field. "I'm here. The building is low, no windows. There are a few cameras mounted on the outside but they don't seem to be recording. I can't tell if they're on, either. They're old, not wireless."

"Any roaming guards?" Dinah asked.

"No, place is dead."

"What about entrances?" Oliver wondered. They all heard a _whoosh! _

"Four," Bart answered. "Two on the north and south faces of the building."

"Come on back," Clark said.

Bart appeared within the circle again.

"We go in as a group," Clark began, Oliver nodding along with him. "Then we separate. Victor, I want you and AC to find all the computers. Victor, you download and wipe it. AC, smash and grab. I don't want any research left in this place whatsoever. Paper, notes, discs, you name it, it needs to be destroyed. Bart, I want you to run continual perimeter checks. Any guards or anyone looking as if they are trying to contact someone, knock 'em out. From what I can tell," Clark had x-rayed it before he sent Bart off. "There are also no guards inside, but you never know. Dinah, Lana, I want you to find the prisoners and see what you can do with them. Lana, any Kryptonite you see, get rid of it. Oliver and I will find Chloe and the boys. You see Lex or Doug Weimar or Vincent Mickler, let Oliver know. He'll take them out. Do not, under any circumstances, try and take on something who comes from one of the labs. If any of those experiments are up and running, once we get Chloe and the boys out, Lana and I will go back in an handle those. The only good kind of hero is a breathing hero. Got it?"

The group nodded solemnly, each remembering when Chloe stood among them, speaking those same words.

Silently, Clark, Bart and Lana speeded over, setting the others on their feet. They were all gathered around the entrance on the south side. Clark halted them and scanned the building one more time. His blood ran cold when he saw a larger figure looming over a smaller one. The smaller one was protecting a form huddled on the floor. Clark reached out and yanked the door, it coming off it's hinges. The group ducked as he tossed it. Clark raced in, stopping with shock when saw Davis Bloome, one hand holding Chloe's delicate wrist pinned to her back and the other grasping her throat and lifting her into the air. Chloe caught sight of Clark before Davis did. Hearing the racket he made, Davis turned and faced Clark. He smiled devilishly.

"Why, hello again, Kal-El," Davis greeted, his voice slipping into the dark voice of the phantom.

"Chloe!" Lana gasped when she saw. Chloe's face was turning purple but she wasn't fighting, knowing she'd preserve more oxygen by keeping her limbs stationary.

"You know what you need to do," Clark said from the side of his mouth, trying to keep calm as he watched Davis clutch Chloe's throat in one hand. "I'll take care of him." He could see them from the corner of his eye slowly dispersing hesitantly. Clark watched Davis closely, but Davis never moved. He paid the others no mind, just stood there, dangling Chloe like a doll and smirking at Clark. Clark could hear Chloe taking small breaths through her nose, buying herself time.

"So you're still around, are you?" Davis asked.

"Put her down, Davis," Clark ordered, taking a tentative step in Davis' direction. He wanted to fly at him, burn him with his heat vision but he couldn't chance of hurting Chloe. It was clear to him Davis had somehow regained his powers. "You don't want to hurt her."

"Actually, I do." Davis cocked his head. "She keeps choosing others besides _me_." Davis shook Chloe. Her eyes were losing some of their brilliance.

"Does that bother you, Davis?"

"Wouldn't it bother _you _if the woman you loved kept choosing other people? _They _did this to me and _she _protects _him!" _Davis pointed with his now free hand to the body on the floor. Clark quickly x-rayed him. He was dead. A broken neck.

Step by step, Clark got closer. He watched Chloe. She was blinking rapidly, fixing to lose consciousness.

"Davis, I know how you feel," Clark told him gently. "And if you were really yourself, you would put Chloe down. You wouldn't want to hurt her and you wouldn't want to hurt anyone else."

"You think you know everything, don't you, Clark? They all betray you. Family, friends, _lovers." _Tightening on Chloe's throat. She opened her mouth, gasping, no air left in her lungs. "_No one _can be trusted." Davis jerked his head up, meeting Clark's eyes once more. "You want her? Here, take her!" Davis pulled back his arm, pitching Chloe like a baseball before he disappeared in his own blur of speed.

"No!" Clark roared. Breaking into super-speed himself, Clark followed the arc of Chloe's body. For one breathless second, Clark waited for her to come down in his arms. She landed with a thud. Clark hauled her closer to him, quickly checking to see the pulse pumping strongly under the skin of her throat.

Lana left Dinah's side and rushed to Clark. "Give her to me."

Clark handed Chloe to Lana who cradled her best friend. "Get her out of here."

"What are you going to do?" Lana asked frantically. She'd recognized the timber of Davis' voice as matching the one of the bizarre phantom. Clark would need her help

"Don't worry about me. Just get Chloe out of here," Clark said shortly before giving chase to Davis.

Clark followed Davis out into the hallway. Davis was waiting for him. The moment Clark stepped of the door, he was hit, Davis tackling him like a linebacker in football. The two grappled with one another, crashing through a wall into a vacant office. Davis was on his feet first, grabbing Clark by his sweatshirt and swinging him through another wall. Shaking his head, Clark clambered to his feet and caught Davis off guard with a sharp right hook to his chin, sending the man flying through the air. He landed with a crunch, making a shallow crater with his body. Clark waited for Davis to climb to his feet. The two faced one another for a few moments, both heaving from their tussle, blood seeping from the cuts and bruises they inflicted on each other. Davis moved first, Clark following. They ran at each other, meeting halfway with a shock of momentum, causing the building to shake with the violence of their collision.

* * *

"Let me know if you need me," Lana said to Dinah.

"I'll let you know what I find," the other woman replied before she sprinted off to search the rest of the building. The entire structure shook and each member could hear the super-fight taking place between Clark and Davis. Lana itched the join the fray, but she was reminded she was charged with keeping Chloe safe for Clark. Meeting AC and Victor's eyes, she took off, disappearing with Chloe in her arms.

* * *

Oliver could feel the reverberations from Clark and Davis above him as he walked along the clammy basement. With his hood pulled up and bow drawn, he swept the hallway with his eyes, alert for an ambush. He'd met a scared young man on his way here who was only too happy to tell him where the lab was and where Lex and the boys were. So far, no guards had been seen, but that didn't necessarily mean there weren't any. From the directions Oliver was given, the entrance to the main lab should be just around the corner. Oliver prepared himself for what he might see. Images from the lab in Russia flashed before his eyes and he fought hard to calm his stomach.

He rounded the corner. The doors the scientist described were right in front of him. Oliver jogged the last couple of feet and laid his hand on the knob. With a yank, he opened the door and entered, his bow and arrow held high.

* * *

Davis laid on the floor as his head rang. Growling, he crawled a few feet away only to be pinned again by Clark. His was weakening. He needed to find Kryptonite and soon. Summoning his will, Davis rolled over and got his feet under Clark's stomach. With force, Davis kicked out, sending Clark flying. The other man hit the cement wall, a few blocks crumbling around him. Davis stood, licking the blood from his busted lip, enjoying the tangy taste of iron. Waiting for Clark to come to his feet, Davis smirked.

"Is that all you got, mighty son of Krypton?" He asked when Clark regained his footing.

Clark's face boiled into a snarl.

Davis took off, leading Clark down the maze of hallways.

* * *

"I'm not seeing any other information in here," Bart radioed back, taking breaks from his perimeter checks to help Dinah search for the prisoners and other things.

"Cyborg is still sifting through all the information on one computer right now," AC responded. "There's a room above here that looks down on the factory floor. I'm thinking it's an office. Go up and check that out."

"I'm on it," Bart said.

"I'm going to go downstairs," Dinah said. "I'm not finding anything up here."

"Watch out for Clark and that other thing. You see anything else, run. Do you copy?" AC asked sternly.

"I copy, Aquaman," Dinah sighed with exasperation although there was an underlining of affection.

"Guys," Bart radioed, calling everyone's attention, even Lana out in the middle of Lander's Field with Chloe. "Clark is in trouble, big time. Loxley, you need to get back in here now."

* * *

All Oliver could see was the sickly glow of green from the chests of the forms on the table. He walked down one aisle, listening intently. Someone else was in this room with him. He could feel it. He heard Bart say something about Clark and trouble. Oliver knew he'd found it. A room full of glowing Kryptonite. He heard the clip of a shoe and halted.

"What do you think is faster?" Lex asked, uttering the infamous phrase he always used when he met the Green Arrow. "An arrow or a bullet?"

Oliver gripped his weapon. "There's only one way to find out." Oliver turned, ready to release his arrow.

"Let me rephrase that," Lex began with an evil grin. "An arrow or _bullets."_

Connor and Kaid, each with a silver gun barrel pressed to their temples, stood before Lex and another man.

"This is low, even for you, Luthor. Hiding behind mere children," Oliver spoke calmly as his hand shook.

"Coming from the man who hides behind a hood and a cheap pair of sunglasses, _Oliver," _Lex replied snidely.

Oliver locked his jaw. He saw Connor and Kaids' eyes widen.

"I see there is no need for pretense," Oliver said before pushing back his hood, revealing his golden head. Connor and Kaid gasped. He took off his glasses so he could look Lex in the eye. "Let the kids go, Lex. You've got what you want. You don't need them."

"We both know the only way I'm going to walk out of here is with these kids. I know you don't work alone. I know right now that my databases are being wiped, my labs being destroyed and Clark is handling my experiment. These two boys are my security ticket out of here."

"If you think that I'm going to let you walk out of here with Chloe's children, you're even more deranged than I thought." Oliver raised his bow, aiming at Lex.

"You think because they're children I won't shoot them?" Lex threatened.

"I'm guessing you know you won't be able to hurt them." Oliver saw Lex's eyes widen as well. "NOW!" Oliver released his arrow as Connor and Kaid disappeared in two separate blurs. Oliver pulled another arrow from his quiver and shot the other man. He slipped to the floor beside Lex who was cringing at the arrow buried deep in his shoulder.

"And the sunglasses weren't cheap," Oliver quipped as he strolled away, knowing the toxin was working it's paralyzing way through Lex's blood stream.

An angry roar was heard from behind the double doors.

"Boys," Oliver barely got out before the doors splintered before them, the dangerous wrestling forms of Clark and Davis falling into the room.

* * *

"Loxley, you need to get back in here now."

Lana pressed her hand to ear, listening closely to all the sounds that were coming through the ear piece. She looked down at Chloe. She couldn't just leave Chloe out here in the middle of nowhere at night. She looked back to the facility, torn.

"Lana?"

Lana looked sharply back at Chloe.

"Chloe?" She knelt on the grass next to Chloe.

Chloe coughed and rubbed her throat. "Where's Clark?" She asked.

"He's inside. He's fighting one of the experiments."

"Lana," Chloe rasped frantically, grabbing at Lana's hands. "You have to go. That thing is part phantom. It's strengthened by Kryptonite. You have to go. Now!"

"Chloe, I can't leave you here-"

"Where is Connor and Kaid?"

"I think Oliver has them," Lana answered.

"Send Bart out here. He can take me back to Watchtower. Just get in there and help Clark!"

* * *

Clark caught up with Davis outside the doors that led into the underground storage.

"Give up, Clark! You'll never be able to defeat me by yourself!" Davis wheezed.

With renewed force, Clark head-butted him. They tumbled into the doors and the wood gave underneath them. They rolled into the room. Clark momentarily caught a glimpse of Oliver, Connor and Kaid behind him. Oliver pushed the boys behind one of the large, round, wooden canisters as he and Davis toppled into the room. Clark's relief at seeing the boys safe was short-lived. Davis stood, towering over him.

"How do you feel, Clark?"

Clark cringed at the effects of Kryptonite caused him to writhe on the floor in pain. He watched Davis walk over to a table. He ripped off a chunk of rock and clutched it in his palm. With rapid panic, Clark watched Davis absorb the Kryptonite radiation with a shout of ecstasy. Davis tossed the now harmless rock from him. His wounds were healed and if possible, his eyes were darker. Clark rolled on the floor, trying to push through the pain. He got to his knees, wishing he could vomit. He felt Davis grab his collar and swing him, throwing him at the nearest crate. Clark hit the crate with a _crack!_ It rolled and began a domino effect. In a haze of pain, Clark laid in the broken remnants. It was getting hard to breathe. A moan of pain reached his ears. Struggling to turn his head, he saw Oliver, his bottom half trapped under one of the intact crates. Frantically, Clark searched for Connor and Kaid. He found them, picking their way slowly back over to Oliver from half way across the room.

Davis came at him again. He yanked him up and tossed him again. Clark left his own crater in the cement floor. Again and again, Davis threw him, kicked him, hit him until Clark lay at his feet in a crumpled heap. He opened his eyes from his face down position. Oliver was only a foot from him.

"Connor, Kaid, help me," Oliver groaned. Clark watched as Connor and Kaid tried to lift the large crate. Clark's heart beat fast as the crate lifted mere inches. It wasn't enough.

"It's too heavy, Ollie," Connor said, fighting tears.

Oliver met Clark's eyes. Sorrow swam in their depths. "I'm sorry, Clark," he whispered. Looking back at the twins, he began to speak in a confident, reassuring tone. "The green rocks? They make Clark sick. You have to get them out of here. Then he can help us. Can you do that for me?"

Both boys nodded. Then they were gone.

Clark felt himself being lifted again. He tried to take a swing at Davis, hoping to distract him from the boys. Davis had him by the throat, his fondness for strangling apparent. Clark's toes brushed the ground and he could see two blurs as Connor and Kaid ripped Kryptonite from the people on the tables.

"Bring it here, guys!" Lana yelled from behind Clark. Davis' attention was caught.

"Davis!" Clark croaked. The beast looked back at him. The hand on his throat tightened.

"She chose you last time. I won't let her make the same mistake twice," it growled.

"You're the mistake."

Clark brought the Blue Kryptonite bracelet up and wrapped it clumsily around Davis' wrist, clasping it tightly. Clark watched as Davis' eyes returned to normal and he dropped Clark to his feet. Rallying all his strength, Clark caught Davis' jaw in a vicious slam, knocking the other man to the ground where he slipped into unconsciousness. He, too, fell to the floor, giving in to the agony that ravaged him physically. Around him, he heard the _whooshing! _of Connor and Kaid as they emptied the room of Kryptonite, ripping off pieces that were bolted by thick sheets of metal to the tables. Clark felt his pulse throb painfully throughout his body.

_"Clark, I have to tell you something. . . Ollie! Sounds like his father. . . More like him than you know. . . They weren't even publicly a couple until about two years ago. . . Clark, there is something I. . . Hey, did you want to tell me something. . . Oliver, if you want to leave then leave, but don't use Connor and Kaid as an excuse. . . I need to tell you something, Clark. I've needed to tell you since you came back, but I. . . didn't know how. . .". _

Voices filled his head as Connor and Kaid zipped around him, the pain lessening by the second.

_"Yeah, the last time I did that, I nearly got my leg broken when Connor kicked me! Boy should play soccer, but then his team would have an unfair advantage, I guess. . . He's just protective of his mother. Don't worry, he was like that with Oliver when Chloe and him started dating, too. . . You're right, your not our dad and now, because of you, we may never have one. . . But, Mom, we don't have to hide what we can do from Ollie. What if Clark finds out what we can do? He'll think we're freaks. . . Clark may understand more than you think. . . I had this heinous craving for Funyuns and strawberry ice cream. . . You're going to be such a wonderful father, Clark. . . Clark, there is something you need to know about what happened after you left. . . "_

The pain was almost gone or maybe Clark just felt numb. He sat up and then stood, shakily, on his feet. All the Kryptonite was gone, a pile by Lana of harmless rocks. She staring at him warily. So did Connor and Kaid as they waited over by Oliver. Clark walked over, gazing at Connor and Kaid. They had his cheekbones, his nose, his mouth with Chloe's eyes. Now that he knew, he couldn't see how he'd missed it.

"Stand back, guys," Clark ordered gently. Connor and Kaid backed up, their eyes glued to his movements. Clark curled his fingers under the rim of the crate and lifted. With wide eyes once again, the twins watched Clark lift the heavy crate off Oliver and set it down next to him.

"Is anything broken?" Oliver asked.

Clark x-rayed him. "No. The tank was empty. Looks like you bruised a few muscles but that's it."

"Ollie, are you okay?" Kaid asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine guys. Just fine." Oliver winced as he moved up on his elbows. Clark reached down, offering him a hand. Oliver looked up at Clark. He clasped hands with Clark, allowing Clark to pull him to his feet.

"Can you walk?" Clark asked, steadying Oliver under his elbow.

Oliver took a tentative step. "Yeah, I can. It's just gonna hurt like hell for a while."

The two men looked around them. "Do you think they're alive?"

Clark and Oliver turned and saw the boys peeking around them at the people laying lifeless on the tables. Clark looked over at Davis who was still out cold from the jab Clark had given him. So was another man a few inches from Lex. Lex, however, was staring raptly at Clark with hate filled eyes. Before he knew what he was doing, Clark had arrived in front of Lex, grabbed him by the collar of his blue silk shirt and with an angry yell, slammed him against the cold, cement wall. Balling his fists, Clark was nose to nose with Lex. He smiled with satisfaction when he saw fear hiding in the gray depths.

"Clark!" Oliver called out behind him.

"I always knew there was something different about you. I know now," Lex whispered, forcing a fake bravado into his voice.

Clark tightened his grip, enjoying the rapidly increasing heart rate and the speeding of the Lex's pulse.

"You come near my family again," Clark said with eerie calmness. "I'll make Davis look like a saint."

Lex swallowed. Clark drug Lex over to the cage and threw him inside. Lex scrambled into a sitting position, the toxin having worn off quickly. Lex faced Clark as he bent the bars back in place.

"Remember Lex," Clark continued with a charming smile. "You tell anyone about me or my sons or any of us, there are no walls, no locks, no guns that can stand between me and you. And I'd get used to bars again. I have a feeling you'll be staring at them for years to come."

Clark turned back to Oliver, Connor and Kaid. His eyes fell on the boys. _His sons. _They weren't vulnerable to Kryptonite, but Clark knew they were his. Something he and Chloe had created.

_I can always depend on you to tell me the truth, Chloe._

Clark pressed his lips together. So many emotions swirled inside him, he was unable to pin-point just one. Anger, relief, pride and most of all, betrayal. He crossed the few feet to Connor and Kaid. Both boys looked up at him with shining eyes.

"You can do what we can," Kaid said in awe.

Clark swallowed and blinked away tears. "Yes, I can."

Clark reached out and ran his fingers through the twins wheat colored hair, cupping the back of their heads as they looked up at him with matching lop-sided grins that belonged to their mother. Clark took a knee and pulled his sons to him in a tight hug. They hugged him back. "Thanks for saving me tonight, guys." He didn't want to let go.

"Let's get out of here," Clark said huskily.

"What are we gonna do with him?"

Oliver gestured to Davis. Davis was sitting up, shaking his head and looking around. His eyes landed on Clark.

"Clark?" He asked haltingly. "Where's Chloe? Is she safe?"

"Yeah, she is," Clark answered in a hard voice. Davis fiddled with the bracelet. "Don't take that off."

He jumped at the acid in Clark's voice. "What is it?"

Clark could see Lex still watching them with interest.

"I'll explain out in the hall. Come on," Clark motioned for Davis to follow them. He took Connor and Kaids' hands and led them out of the room.

"Clark, I'm sorry," Oliver said. Clark ignored him. "It wasn't my secret to tell," he tried again.

"Let's just get out of here." Clark replied shortly. He was a father. Chloe was the mother of his _two _sons. He couldn't process this here. He met Lana at the door. She followed at a good distance behind, monitoring Davis.

They met Dinah in the hallway, along with Victor and AC.

"Where's Impulse?" Clark asked.

"He took Watchtower back to Headquarters," Victor supplied.

"He's fine," Clark assured them as the group eyed Davis.

"John Jones is standing by with his detectives about a mile out to give us time to get away," Dinah told them.

"I took the liberty of calling him before we left," Oliver explained. "He'll know how to deal with this. Batman has Gordon, I think it's only fair we have Jones."

"Cyborg, is everything clean?"

"Yes. Impulse found a box full of Tess' journals up in the office. We think that's how Lex knew about Davis and Chloe and everything else."

"Where are they?" Clark asked.

"Impulse and Watchtower took them back to Headquarters," AC answered.

"Lex is back in a cage. Anyone catch any sight of Mickler or Weimar?"

"Weimar's dead. He's the body in the ground-lab. We haven't seen Mickler anywhere," Dinah answered.

"Mickler's dead."

Everyone turned and looked at Davis who was standing on the outskirts of the circle.

"And you're to blame?" Oliver questioned.

Davis nodded.

"Boy Scout, are you sure he's safe?" Lana asked with caution.

"The bracelet he's wearing. It's what Lex was looking for. Just a small bit will keep him calm, a hunk that size will strip him of his powers completely," Clark explained.

"What do we do with the bodies?" Cyborg asked.

Clark and Oliver looked down between them at the two boys standing there, gaping at their extended family of heroes.

"John has special instructions," Oliver answered. "The lab in Russia had been clones, beings that had yet been given life. We could just bury them. These were actual people who had once lived. They seemed to be in some kind of restive state. Those inside there will need medical attention, families will need to be contacted and the Russian government as well. We'll let John clean up the political mess Lex has made."

"Can we go back to Watchtower now? This place is giving me the creeps," Dinah suggested.

"Yeah, I think these guys have seen enough. You want to go see your Mom?" Clark asked the boys.

"Is she okay?" Connor asked fearfully.

"She's very okay," Clark told them. "Lana, why don't you take Canary and the twins. I can take Cyborg and Arrow."

Clark felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked down at Kaid.

"We can run, if that will help," the little boy offered.

"All the way to Metropolis?" Clark asked.

Connor and Kaid nodded proudly.

* * *

"They'll be here any minute," Bart told a pacing Chloe.

Chloe wringed her hands together. It had been the longest ten minutes of her life while she waited to know everyone was safe. And now, they'd be walking through those doors in a few seconds. All she wanted to do was hold her sons again. Kiss them and hug them and smell their hair. Chloe faced the huge stained glass window. It was only two in the morning, but it felt as if she'd lived a lifetime since she was in the Clocktower Loft hours ago. She didn't care who was around. When Clark came through that door, she would tell him. Tell him she loved him and couldn't live without him and that they were parents. Her carefully guarded life and secret had come crashing down around her tonight and she didn't want to rebuild it. She didn't want to have any more secrets.

The double doors opened.

"Mom!"

Chloe turned to find Connor and Kaid riding piggy back style on Clark's shoulders, their legs wrapped around his waist and their skinny arms holding onto his neck. Clark squatted. Connor and Kaid scrambled down. Chloe met them halfway, falling to her knees as she clutched each boy to her, crying softly into their hair. The group around them was silent as Chloe told her sons how much she loved them and missed them.

"Mom, we're fine!" Connor said, finally pushing away from his mother's tight embrace.

"Clark and Ollie saved us," Kaid started. "And Mom, guess what? Clark can do what we can do! He can run _really _fast and he lifted this big wooden thing off of Ollie's legs. It weighed like a _ton!"_

"He's Superman, Mom! We saw him _fly!" _Connor, refusing to be outdone by his brother exclaimed, too. "He said we could tell you because you already knew. . ."

Connor continued, but Chloe had stopped listening. She lifted her eyes. She saw everyone else walking away, giving them space. She even saw Davis keeping to the shadows. Clark stood by the door, watching the boys tenderly. _He knew. _Clark lifted his own eyes, meeting hers. Something inside Chloe went cold.

"Clark-" Chloe started, standing. The twins fell away from her, being led away by Dinah and Bart.

Clark looked at her as if he didn't know her. He shook his head. "Don't, Chloe," Clark told her softly. "There's nothing left for you to say."

"Clark, let me explain," Chloe pleaded, closing the distance between them.

Clark backed away, stepping out of the door. "I gotta go."

"Clark, please don't leave! You said-"

_"Forget!" _Clark's voice came out in a harsh shout. He took a deep breath. Standing at the top of the stairs, Clark examined his feet. He turned his head, looking over her head. Chloe reached out to him, holding back her sobs. She clutched Clark's sleeve. Clark shook his head and met her eyes again. Chloe opened her mouth but the pain she read in the moss colored orbs caused her words to die in her throat.

"Forget what I said." Clark shook Chloe's hand from his arm and headed down the stairs, not looking back. Chloe watched him go. For the second time, Clark walked away from her. And this time, Chloe knew he would never come back.

* * *

*A/N: The exchange between Lex and Bizarro takes place in season 7, within the episode of 'Persona'. I did some research and in the comics, Blue Kryptonite only weakened Bizarro, so that is how I presented it here. I also had him knowing that it was his weakness so let us pretend that Brainiac told him when he went to ask how to live under the yellow sun. He went to Lex to power-up since he knew he might be facing Clark to fight for Lana. As to how he got some Blue K, that I'm just ignoring. Also, how it disappeared from Lex and ended up being sent to Clark, you can come up with your own explanation. All I know is, it was not sent to Clark by Dax-Ur. Maybe Brainiac sent it to him for an evil plan he'd been thinking up. It really bothers me to leave that end frayed, but seeing as it really has nothing to do with story I'm working on here, I'm going to just leave it loose. Lex also got all his information on Davis, as you can tell, from the journals Lionel kept as seen in 'Eternal' in season 8 and that I interpreted Tess later added to on her own.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The room was silent when Chloe returned. Avoiding everyone's pity filled eyes, she cleared her throat and walked to the staircase, ascending to the Observation Deck. They all watched her as she stood with her back to them, arms crossed, her shoulders shaking slightly. Victor, Lana and AC averted their eyes, not wanting to intrude on such a private display. Dinah and Bart gazed at Oliver, while Davis twitched in the corner, Chloe's obvious pain calling to him. Before he could make a move, Oliver began taking the steps slowly. He settled a hand upon her shoulder. Chloe turned, looking up at Oliver with the same expression she wore years ago in the barn. Wordlessly, Oliver pulled Chloe to him. She cried into the leather that covered his shoulder. Subtly, they all began to disperse; AC and Dinah taking Connor and Kaid into the kitchen.

"Shhh. . . I'll fix it. I'll fix it," Oliver crooned gently.

"It can't be fixed. Clark has always trusted me above everyone else," Chloe sobbed. "I've lied to him for months. Nothing can fix this, Oliver. Nothing."

"Did he let you explain?"

"There was nothing to explain. I let Clark believe that Connor and Kaid were your sons when so many times I could have come clean. He will never forgive me!"

"Yes, he will," Oliver said with force. He pushed Chloe back and gazed down into her tear-streaked face. "You know why? Because Clark loves you. Because Clark will want to get to know his sons. Because their are two little people in this world that need him. Just give him time. Then try again."

Chloe sniffled a few more times and then wiped her eyes. Shaking her head, she nodded to Oliver. "Let's go over what happened tonight."

"Chloe, why don't we give it a rest tonight? We can all meet with John later and go over everything. I think it's important for you and the boys to go back to the loft and get some rest. Lois and Martha are waiting for us."

"Oh, I bet Lois is chomping at the bit. Where do you think Clark will go?" Chloe asked.

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt he'll go back to the loft. He's pretty mad at me, too."

"Oliver, I am so sorry-"

"I know you are. I could have told him myself, but I chose to keep my word. He'll come around when he realizes that. It's okay. Everything will be okay," Oliver assured her.

"I hope you're right," Chloe replied.

Oliver dismissed all of them. All of them except Davis.

"You can stay here for the time being," Oliver said.

"Do you think someone should stay here with him?" Dinah asked.

"Is that okay if we have someone stay with you? You know, given your track record and everything?" Oliver questioned.

"No, I'd feel better if someone. . . Watched me right now," Davis stuttered, caressing the bracelet with his right wrist.

"We'll take shifts," Oliver ordered. "Any volunteers?"

"I'll do it," Victor offered. "I need to transfer all the information I downloaded tonight and sort it."

"Okay, Cyborg will take the first shift. He does not take that rock off. Understood?"

"Got it. Come on, bone-crusher," Victor motioned for Davis to follow him. "There's a couch over in the corner you can crash on."

Davis took a few steps and then stopped, turning to face the League. "I'm really sorry. I never meant-"

"We know," Oliver spoke as they all smiled kindly at him.

Davis returned the smile half-heartedly. "Thank you," he told them before following Victor.

* * *

Sleeping hadn't even been an option for Martha or Lois. Allistor and Krenshaw both stood rigidly by entrances into the loft. No words had been spoken in the last forty minutes. Martha was curled in a blanket on the couch, sipping from a coffee mug, barely hiding the anxiety underneath. Lois was pacing, as she'd been doing for the better part of the night. She'd tried to take Martha's mind off what was happening, but it seemed to be the other way around. When the midnight hour fell, Martha gave up and gave in, retreating into her own world. When thoughts of how little she knew her grandsons snuck in she chased them quickly away, telling herself she still had _years _ahead of her with them.

When the clock chimed one-thirty, Krenshaw's phone rang, causing both Martha and Lois to start violently. Standing to her feet, Martha joined Lois in looking raptly at Krenshaw as he nodded and gave curt answers.

"Yes, sir. . . No, sir. . . Of course, sir. . . Yes, sir. . . " He flipped the phone closed and replaced it in the belt clip. "The League has retrieved Ms. Sullivan and her sons and will be returning shortly."

"Oh, thank God!" Martha gasped, not realizing she'd been holding her breath. She hugged Lois tightly who clung to her as well.

"They'll probably be starving!" Martha exclaimed before hurrying into the kitchen. "I'll just whip up something real quick."

When the League returned, they returned to waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, and home-made biscuits and gravy.

"Now, this beats coming home to a dame any day," Bart moaned as he alighted from the elevator and the sweet scent of syrup hit him. "I love you, Mrs. K. Will you adopt me?"

"I don't know if I could afford you!" Martha teased. She saw Oliver come in, heading straight for Lois. She smiled discreetly and averted her eyes when Lois jumped into Oliver's arms, wrapping her long legs around his waist.

"Chloe!" Martha called when she saw her and her grandchildren. The boys smiled and ran over to her, hugging her waist. Chloe followed.

"Oh, it's so good to see my boys again!" Martha said, kissing each one and hugging them tightly. She stood and wrapped her arms around Chloe, kissing her cheek as well. Pulling back, she smiled at Chloe, whose own wobbled a bit. Martha peered around. "Where's Clark?"

Chloe bit her lip. "He didn't come back with us."

"Why not?" Martha asked, fear overtaking her once more.

"He's fine, it's just. . . Bart, can you make the boys a plate?"

"Sure thing," Bart nodded. "You ain't lived yet until you eat Mama K's waffles and Butter Pecan syrup."

"Clark's fine, Martha," Chloe began.

"Then where is he?"

"He left. I don't know where he is. He may have gone back to the Talon or is half a world away by now."

"Chloe, what happened?" Martha kept her voice calm and measured.

"I didn't get the chance to tell him," Chloe said, her voice quavering again with tears. "He saw what the boys could do. He is so angry with me."

"Oh, honey," Martha replied. Chloe broke down again and Martha pulled her into a hug, rocking her gently.

Lois poked Oliver in the ribs from across the room when she saw Chloe over his shoulder. "What's up with that?" Lois asked, pulling back from him. "Wait a minute," Lois narrowed her eyes and looked around. She saw Connor and Kaid shoveling waffles into their mouths while Lana and Bart spoke quietly at the table next to them. "Where's Clark?"

Oliver shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. He found out somehow the boys were his and he split."

"That manure-filled, cowardly-"

"Lois," Oliver interrupted sternly. "He has every right to be angry. We all lied to him."  
Lois glared at Oliver before softening. "Fine. But I hate anyone who makes Chloe cry. Even if it is in some way her own fault," Lois told him grudgingly.

Lois saw Chloe pull away from Martha and wipe her eyes. With a weak smile, she began to walk toward the bedrooms. Lois left Oliver and joined Chloe. She slung an around Chloe's shoulders and shot her a bright smile.

"We can talk later. I'm just glad to have you back."

"Thanks, Lois. I'm glad to be back," Chloe said.

"Lex didn't hurt you, did he? Or the boys?"

"No," Chloe answered with a shake of her head.

Lois stopped and hugged Chloe tightly. "I'm here whenever you need me, sweetie."

"Thanks, Lois. I'm going to take a shower and then sleep for a little bit."

Lois released Chloe. She took her hand before Chloe got in the door. Squeezing it, she met Chloe's red-rimmed eyes. "This is his loss, Chloe."

Chloe's smile slipped away. "No, Lois. It's theirs'." Chloe went into the master suite and shut the door. Lois turned her head and looked at Connor and Kaid, laughing with Bart and Lana.

* * *

The loft around her was silent. Connor and Kaid had joined their mother and Shelby in the master suite around two-thirty when they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer. Shelby followed her dutifully, while she put his charges in the bed with their mother. She smiled as they snuggled in close to Chloe. As if sensing they were there, Chloe tucked an arm around both her sons protectively. Shelby sat like a sentry at the head of the bed, watching over his family as they slept. Oliver and Lois left a few hours later after they and Bart helped Martha clean up. Martha retired to the second guest room while Bart made himself comfy on the couch to watch some TV.

"Way too wired to sleep," he'd said and yet, when Lana had come tip-toeing out of her room, he was seated on the couch, the remote in his hand and his head resting on it's side, mouth hanging open as he snored through his nose. Lana took the remote and turned the TV off. She then covered him with the blanket that was heaped to the side. Allistor and Krenshaw were no longer in the apartment, but in the garage downstairs, the threat of danger no longer imminent. As quietly as she could, Lana sped out of the loft. She found herself heading east, to Smallville.

She stopped when the Talon was about a block away. The sun was just beginning to rise, coloring the horizon a fiery reddish-orange shade as it ate the dreary looking gray. A few people were out and about, most of whom she'd never seen before. Most smiled and waved, not because they remembered her, but because they were like that. She saw Milton, the hardware store owner, bent by age, cleaning his windows from the inside. She saw Valerie Boycott, the daughter of Janice who used to run the Smallville Diner. Valerie was wiping down tables in front of the big picture window facing the street. Lana came to the Talon. She looked up, wondering if Clark had come back here. In just a few hours, he probably would be heading to the Planet for work. Lana went around back and unlocked the back door, slipping into the quiet and unopened building. She walked up the stairs and stood momentarily in front of the turquoise painted door. Inserting the key, she turned and opened the door, letting herself into the darkened apartment. Nothing looked as if it had been disturbed. Coming in and shutting the door behind her, Lana looked over to the bed.

Clark was sprawled upon it, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.

Lana laid the keys on the counter. Clark still didn't move. "Good morning," she said.  
Clark didn't respond, just blinked.

Lana slipped off her boots before padding flat-footed over the vacant side of the bed. She sat down, looking over at Clark as she did so. He didn't move away. She needed a shower and her clothes were dirty and torn in places from the energy she'd absorbed and neutralized in the Kryptonite. Lana laid down, stretching out next to Clark.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, examining the ceiling, too.

"I'm trying to see if there was ever a person I could fully trust. My parents are the only ones I can come up with," Clark finally answered.

Lana felt a sharp prick of pain. Clark had never trusted her, which is why he was on one side of the bed and she another with an ocean between them.

"There are lots of people you can trust, Clark."

"Lana, if you're here to talk about Chloe, you can save your breath," Clark snapped, sitting up and pushing off the bed. Lana sat up, too, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. Clark stomped into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He closed it again without taking anything out. Lana knew there was nothing in there.

"We don't have to talk about Chloe," Lana said.

"Then why are you here? I'm surprised you beat Lois. I've been waiting all night for her to come blowing in, foaming and snarling like a rabid dog."

"I just thought maybe you'd like some company. A friend maybe," Lana suggested, still seated upon the bed.

Clark scoffed. "You're going to sit there and pretend you didn't know?"

"I didn't know, Clark. I thought they were Oliver's like everyone else did. Not until yesterday when Kaid zipped across the loft to keep Chloe's coffee mug from breaking did I realize they were _your _sons, not Oliver's."

"So, she lied to everyone, not just me? That makes me feel so much better," Clark said sarcastically.

"She didn't lie, Clark. She never _said _Connor and Kaid belonged to Oliver and I never asked. I just assumed. And I think others did the same."

"So, she didn't tell you we-"

"No, Clark. Chloe wouldn't have told me something like that. Just like I didn't tell Chloe when we crossed the line that first time. It's private and we were always respectful with each other when it came to our feelings about you. Well, Chloe was. She didn't talk about you much after you left, either. I didn't see her much. Dr. Groll and his staff were trying to work out the kinks of the Prometheus suit. We did talk on the phone, though. She was always careful to avoid any subject that might lead to you."

"Did she ever tell you she was pregnant?" Clark asked. He returned to the bed, sitting at the end.

"I knew she and Oliver had been spending a lot of time together. She'd call me when she was between assignments or down-time at Isis. I remember it was around Thanksgiving. She had called to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving, asking if I thought I might be able to come to Smallville for the day. When I told her probably not, she said that she had something to tell me," Lana paused. Clark was hanging on her every word.

"I said I was happy for her. Then I asked her what Oliver thought. She said something snarky, you know Chloe, and that was that. I saw her a couple of times every year after stepping down from Isis, but I never saw the boys except in pictures until they were about six and that was only because I showed up at the Farm unexpectedly."

Clark jostled on the bed, turning away from Lana and facing the apartment. Lana uncurled and crawled down to Clark, sliding her legs out and sitting next to him. The silence stretched between them.

"You what I've noticed?" Lana asked.

Clark looked over at her. "What?"

"Do you know, me and you have never been able to shoot the breeze?"

Clark furrowed his brows.

"We've never been able to just sit down and have a conversation about the weather," Lana used as an example. "As teenagers we were always talking circles around each other. My feelings, your feelings, my problems, your problems. Your secret, my denial. Even when we were together and I knew your secret, it was always some deep discussion fraught with hidden meanings. Even now, we can't just sit here in comfortable silence. There was always something out there that was bigger than us. Still is."

"Is that why you didn't want Chloe to tell me about the Kryptonite reversal?" Clark asked.

"Part of it was," Lana answered truthfully. "We'd already said good-bye and I thought it was better if we just left it at that. It seemed the only thing we accomplished when we were together was to find new ways of hurting each other."

"What was the other part?"

Lana bent her head, refusing the meet Clark's eyes. She was so ashamed of what she was about to admit.

"Chloe called me and asked if I could come into Smallville to have coffee. She said there was something she wanted to tell me and not over the phone. We had decided to meet at the Talon, but I got in early and went by the Farm. I saw the two of you," Lana stopped. She looked at Clark briefly before settling her eyes back on the floor. She began again, quieter than before. "I saw the way you looked at her. It was the way you used to look at me. It was the same way you looked at her on her wedding day when you thought no one was looking. I spied on you a little before walking in that night. So I asked her not to tell you. I didn't want to take that away from her."

"Did you think I would leave Chloe to come find you?" Clark questioned with incredulity.

Lana laughed mirthlessly. "I was hoping you would, Clark. I was hoping when Chloe told you you were able to be close to me again you'd coming running. But then, after I saw the two of you, I knew Chloe would tell you and you wouldn't come. I couldn't deal with the thought of you choosing someone over me. Even if it was someone who loves you more than I ever thought I could. So I decided to live in a dream world. One where you didn't know because I was being selfless. And that is why I asked Chloe not to tell you."

Clark looked at Lana while Lana kept her eyes on the ground. "Why did you come now? You knew Chloe would not tell me because you asked her not to and that I would get the hell shocked out of me. That wasn't fair, Lana. And I thought Chloe hadn't told me because she wanted to see how I reacted to you."

"I know," Lana whispered. "I knew what you would think. But it wasn't Chloe who wanted to see how you would react. It was me. I wanted to see if-"

"If it was still there?"

Lana chanced a look to her right. "I miss the way you used to look at me, Clark."

Clark sighed and stood to his feet again. He walked over to the counter and leaned against it. "Lana, I have to ask. Is that why you came here this morning?"

"A little," Lana said to his back. She saw his shoulders slouch. "I still have feelings for you. I guess I'll always have these feelings," her voice trailed off.

Clark turned to her. "I still have feelings for you, too. I'll always love you, Lana. You were right, though. We never could make it work because there was something out there bigger than us. Still is," he fed her words back.

Lana nodded, knowing he meant the bond he'd always had with Chloe and the deep feelings the two shared because of it. "I really am happy for you, Clark. You've finally found someone who you can have an open and honest relationship with. Someone who can support you and not feel like she has to be something else to be worthy of you. Chloe has always been worthy of you." Lana stood then, coming to stand in front of him. "We all make bad choices, Clark. You and I both know that. And lucky for us, we've always had such understanding and supportive friends that have been there for us."

"Lana, omission is still a form of lying. How long was she going to let me believe Connor and Kaid were Oliver's'? Until they started flying?"

"I don't know. All I can tell you is she was very upset when you left this morning. I know you need some time. You have every right to be angry. But if you love her half as much as she loves you, you have to let her explain."

Lana slipped her boots back on and quickly gathered some of the things she'd stashed around the apartment.

"I'm going to stay with Chloe for a few more days before I head back to Star City. I bet you'd like to have your space back," Lana said from the door. "I'll be back for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Hopefully I'll see you around."

"Yeah, maybe," Clark replied in a non-committal tone.

"Well, good-bye, Clark. It was good to see you again." Lana began to close the door. Before it clicked shut, Clark heard, "We all need someone we can shoot the breeze with."

* * *

Martha stayed a week longer before heading back for a few more sessions before the Senate broke for the holidays. She helped Chloe and the boys move back into the renovated farm house. Chloe refused to put up any personal touches, only the repaired furniture. Martha didn't ask any questions, just helped them get settled. Lana returned to Star City and life resumed it's normal pace it seemed. Oliver stayed in the city with Lois but both of them made it out regularly for dinner.

"I hate to leave her alone," Martha commented one day over coffee with Lois while Chloe helped the boys catch up on the school work they'd missed.

"Me and Oliver will be here," Lois assured Martha.

Martha looked over at Lois. "You must hate Clark right now."

"I've never been very keen on liking your son, Martha. I loved you and Mr. K. . . Clark on the other hand. . . He never had a chance. I still remember the summer Chloe came to me all heart-broken over some hay farmer she swore she'd _never _fall for when she moved out here," Lois said candidly.

"It happens to the best of us," Martha replied wisely.

Lois snorted. "Sorry, Mrs. K. Why didn't Clark get more of his father in him, huh?"

It was Martha's turn to snort. "He did. The thing is, Lois, Jonathon and I had our own rough patches, too. I didn't tell him the whole truth about who my family was. For the longest time, he thought I came from Nebraska where one of my obscure aunts lived. When he proposed to me, I finally had to tell him who my father was. I had led him to believe that I came from horse people, grew up in the country while spending the summers tending my Uncle's large dude ranch, when in fact I spent my summers in New York or Los Angeles or abroad. He was furious. He didn't speak to me for a month. And then when I finally thought it was really over, he showed up on my the stoop of the brownstone I was renting with a couple of friends." Martha smiled as the memory overtook her. "He was wearing those horrible jeans and those ghastly work boots that were about to fall apart. His hair was matted down by the ball cap he'd been wearing and his shirt was wrinkled and splattered with mud. He looked like heaven. All I wanted to do was fall into his arms."

"What did he say?"

Lois and Martha looked at Chloe who had come into the kitchen with them. She slid into a chair across from Martha. Martha reached over and took her hand.

"He said he was sorry and that a guilty conscience was better than no conscience at all," Martha continued, remembered his sheepish smile. "All that really mattered was that I came clean in the end. And then we promised that we'd never lie to one another again. And we never did."

Chloe's shoulders slumped. "But I didn't get the chance to come clean in the end. And he probably thinks I was never going to."

Lois moved into the other chair next to Chloe and curled an arm around her. "Clark will let you explain. The one good thing about Clark is he always gives people a second chance. The two of you have been friends for too long of a time to let something as trivial as being _parents _come between you," Lois told her confidently with a teasing smile.

The next day, Martha stopped by the Planet before going to Metropolis International Airport to catch her flight back to Washington. Taking the elevator up to the fifth floor, she kindly but firmly put a stop to any questions from overeager reporters. "I'm just here to see my son, thank you," she replied to each and every one. The doors opened and Martha left the elevator gratefully. She made her way into the cubicle-free news room. Spotting Lois and the vacant desk across from her, Martha furrowed her brows and made her way over.

Lois was glued to the screen of her computer. Martha cleared her throat and then laid her hand on the woman's shoulder. "Hi, Lois."

"Martha!" Lois exclaimed, jumping a little. She shook her head. "Sorry, I was proof-reading and got kind of sucked in. I have to admit, I may not be Clark's biggest fan, but his work on the project they busted up is riveting. I actually don't have anything to add."

"I thought you were writing that piece?" Martha asked, taking it as a good sign that Clark was letting Lois check his work.

"No," Lois smiled sweetly. "Oliver gave this one to him but promised the next one is mine, all mine." Lois rubbed her hands together.

"Speaking of Clark, where he is? I wanted to say good-bye to him before I left."

"I think he's up on the roof. He goes up there a lot now. I think to get away from me," Lois admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't exactly hospitable when we came back to work. Family loyalty and all that. Come on, I'll take you up there."

Martha followed behind Lois' swishing ponytail as she talked non-stop. For once, Martha was grateful for Lois' unhinged tongue. It made the confrontation she was about to have with her son recede for a few moments. The roof access door appeared before them. Lois grasped the handle, pushed down and pushed with her hip, the rusty door opening with a _screech._

"Hold your fire, Smallville," Lois said, throwing up here hands in surrender. "I come in peace."

"What do you want?" Clark fairly snarled.

"I'm just making a delivery." Lois moved behind and held the door open. "Good luck."

Martha smiled at her and stepped out on the windy roof-top on the Daily Planet. Lois let the door go and it shut. Clark gazed at his mother. She gazed back at him. "You've had a hard week, haven't you, sweetie?"

"Oh, so you know, too, huh? Tell me, Mom, was I the only one who _didn't _know I was a father?" Clark snapped before turning back to Metropolis skyline.

"She was going to tell you," Martha began, stepping up beside him. She looked over at him. His forehead and mouth were set. Yes, Clark may not _biologically _belong to her and Jonathon, but in that moment, he reminded her so much of Jonathon that her heart skipped a beat. She slipped a hand into the crook of one of his crossed arms. "She was going to tell you the night of the Halloween party. When that didn't pan out, she was going to tell you the night you two were at dinner."

"Did you know the whole time?"

"No. I thought they were Oliver's. Again, Chloe never _said _they were Oliver's. Along with everyone else, I just assumed."

"When did you realize they were mine?"

"The night after you came to see me. When you told me what happened between you and Chloe before you left, I can't explain it, something just clicked and I knew," Martha told him.

"That's why you came in. Were you ever going to tell me?"

"If Chloe hadn't come clean by Thanksgiving, then I was going to tell you," Martha replied.

"I can't believe this. You should have told me," Clark said with anger.

"I thought it would be better coming from Chloe. It wasn't my place."

"But I'm your son. How could keep something like this from me?" Clark asked indignantly, turning to face her.

Martha pushed back the errant hair that had been blown out of her sleek French twist with a dove-gray gloved hand. She clasped her hands in front of her. "Clark, I am very sorry. I hated knowing that you were father and being unable to share it with you. But-"

"I can't even trust you. My own mother," Clark sighed in frustration. "_You_, of all people, should have told me." Clark turned away from her, facing the bitter wind that was blowing in from the north.

"I just wanted to come by and say good-bye before I went back to Washington. I'll be coming back for Thanksgiving." Martha laid a hand between his shoulder blades, tears pricking when he tensed under her loving touch. "I hope you can join us. I know Chloe and the boys would love to have you." Martha waited a few more moments. Clark continued to stare morosely out at the city below him. With a final pat, Martha turned to leave.

"You're taking _her _side," Clark muttered.

"I'm taking my _grandchildrens' _side," Martha replied calmly, refusing to rise to the childish way Clark was behaving. "Two little boys who have their mother but are in desperate need of their father." Silence stretched between Martha and Clark once more.

"Do they know? The boys?" Clark asked, turning slightly toward his mother.

Martha looked back at Clark. "They know Oliver isn't their father. Deep down, I think Chloe was always waiting for you to come back before she told them anything."  
Clark nodded. "Bye, Mom."

"Good-bye, sweetie."

Martha's heart broke as she exited the roof. She didn't know what to do. He was still so angry. And no one was denying him his anger. But Chloe was hurting, too. Martha couldn't tell who she felt more for, the son who'd she'd always guarded so closely or the girl who loved him more than anything. She closed her eyes. There was nothing she could do. Clark and Chloe had to work this out on their own.

* * *

"So, it's all cleaned up?"

Oliver nodded, looking over at AC from across the room.

"We've turned the unfortunates over to the Russian government. They are, with the help of Ms. Lang, tracking down the families and letting them decide what to do," John Jones informed the gathered adults from his seat in one of the over-stuffed recliners in Watchtower.

"Will they be able to be returned to what they were before?" Victor asked.

John shook his head. "We have no way of knowing. Right now, some of the brightest scientific minds are gathering together to see what can be done. This Dr. Mickler, whoever he was, the secret of what he did to them died with him. If the doctors can find a way to restore them, they will. If not, the families can choose to do what they please."

"What are the papers saying?" Bart asked.

"Clark's article said Lex Luthor was apprehended by local authorities hiding out at a fellow accomplice's home. He makes mention of what might be going on there, just enough to keep the public curiosity stirred if the Planet ever decides to do a follow-up," Dinah answered.

The room fell silent at the mention of Clark's name.

"I guess he couldn't make it?" Bart asked.

Oliver looked over at Chloe who was sitting on a hard stool at the computer console, fiddling absent-mindedly.

"No, he couldn't. He had something else to do," Oliver told him. "Real quick, before we call it a day, I just wanted to let all of you know, Lois is going to forget what she saw in the Loft. You don't need to worry about finding a story outing you to the entire world or anything."

"Yeah, that would mean exposing her boyfriend as leader of the Masked Hero Ball and I'm sure she wouldn't want to to do that," Dinah quipped. "Could get her fired."

"I'm going to hope, one of these days, you two learn to be friends," Oliver replied.

"Don't hold your breath, Big Green," AC said, stretching as he stood. "Lois is on the 'Old Flame' list with Dinah. She hates them on principle."

Oliver and the rest laughed. All but Chloe.

"Hey, what are we going to do with Davis?" Victor asked. "He can't continue to stay at Watchtower."

"Who is Davis?" John asked.

"Davis Bloome. He's the guinea pig Lex kidnapped from Canada. Formerly known as 'Doomsday'," Oliver answered. "We took him from the lab with us. He's been staying here at Watchtower until we can figure out what to do with him."

"Is he dangerous? Lex combined his DNA with the DNA from the most dangerous phantom to come out of the phantom zone. How are you able to control him?" The detective asked with interest.

"With a Blue Kryptonite Bracelet," Oliver answered.

"Ah, yes. Kryptonians, as well as the phantom were vulnerable to Blue Kryptonite. Kryptonians it strips them of their powers under the yellow sun and the phantom was weakened by it. I'm guessing Clark was able to produce this bracelet?" John asked with a sly smile.

"Yes, he was," Oliver replied.

"So, what are we going to do about Davis?" AC repeated. "Are we gonna fly him back to Canada or what? Is it safe for him to be around people again?"

"He's safe," Chloe finally spoke, swiveling on the stool. "As long as he keeps that bracelet on."

"But can he be trusted to do that? If he takes it off-"

"I think he can," Victor said, cutting off Dinah's implication.

"He can come home with me."

"Do you think that is really a good idea, Chloe?" Bart questioned.

"Well, you don't want him in Watchtower and I don't any of the rest of you offering him a place to sleep," Chloe snapped.

"Chloe, that's not what Bart meant," Oliver began soothingly. "Think about the boys."

"I don't want to abandon him again, Oliver," Chloe said softly. "Last time, we just put him on a plane."

"For his own protection," AC countered.

"And look what happened," Chloe pointed out. "At least with me, I can watch him and maybe talk to him about a few options. See what _he _wants to do. Plus, the holidays are coming up. Can we really turn him away with Thanksgiving and Christmas so close?"

"He is more than welcome to stay at my place," John offered. "I'm hardly there anyway."

"Why don't you ask him?" Bart asked, pointing upward. They all looked up to see Davis watching them from the second level.

Davis backed away, like he was child caught sneaking out of the house late at night.

"Davis, come on down here," Oliver called up kindly.

Davis came down the stairs, smiling stiffly at the group.

"I'm pretty sure I know what you'll pick, but we'll ask you anyway. Would you like to continue staying here at Watchtower until we can figure out something or with Chloe or John?" Oliver asked diplomatically.

Davis looked at Oliver and then John and finally Chloe. "If it's okay with all of you, and Chloe, I'll stay with her."

"Of course it's okay with me," Chloe said kindly, rubbing a friendly hand along his shoulder.

"I don't think Clark is gonna like that," Bart whispered to Victor out of the side of his mouth.

* * *

Days passed into weeks and before any of them knew it, Thanksgiving was upon them. The League made plans to gather together at the Kent house for the first of hopefully many more official Thanksgiving celebrations. The twins were excited, having never really done the holiday in a big way. They were used to a turkey lunch attended by Oliver, Chloe and Lois. Today, Chloe thought with a smile, they would get the family so long denied them. All the people they thought of as Aunts and Uncles were going to be in their home for more than a few hours and something other than their birthday. She had hardly been able to convince them to go to sleep the night before. Opening her eyes to the darkness of the bedroom, Chloe felt Martha, who had flown in the night before, still sleeping soundly beside her. A beat later, the soft bleating of the alarm began. Chloe reached over and turned it off. Rolling out of bed, Chloe slipped on her robe and padded out of the room. At four-thirty in the morning, the house was still dark. She closed her bedroom door, not wanting to disturb Martha. Flipping on the hall light, she peeked inside her sons' room. Both were asleep, their little faces resting peacefully on their pillows. Shelby lay on the rug in the middle of the floor on his side, one eye opening in a slit. The hallway light illuminated the room barely, just enough for Chloe to make out their features. She leaned her head against the door frame. Twenty-two days had passed since she'd watched Clark walk away from her. Twenty-two days that passed slowly as a funeral processional. Twenty-two days of silence, anger and heart-ache. Twenty-two days of questions. The twins, as much as they seemed to rebel against it at first, had grown used to Clark's presence. Top it all off, they both knew he was Superman, who had recently replaced the Green Arrow as their hero for saving their Mom. And he was like them. Not a day went by when Chloe hadn't heard 'Superman' or 'Clark' used in a sentence. His absence inside the house was more noticeable now than when he'd first left.

"Mama?" Connor had asked. "Where's Clark?"

"Is he coming to dinner?" Kaid would wonder.

"Can we go riding with him again?"

"Will he come to Thanksgiving?"

Her response to each one was the same. She had no response. Chloe would smile, kiss their foreheads and then wait until she was alone so she could cry. The possibility of Clark leaving her had always been there, but when finally confronted with the fact he was father, how could Clark walk away? It was all her fault, Chloe would make no bones about it. But she could never forgive Clark for just leaving like this. Deep down, she knew that was the anger talking. She knew she would never forgive herself for what she'd done to her children. She'd cheated them out of the only father they'd ever have. When Chloe realized tears were making distinct tracks down her cheeks, she closed the door and continued down the stairs to the kitchen, wiping her eyes.

Once in the kitchen, she started coffee, a full pot since she would have a full house and threw glance over to the sofa. She did a double take when she saw it was empty, blankets folded neatly and set on the pillow. Looking around quickly, Chloe didn't see Davis anywhere. She checked the doors and all were locked. Listening carefully, she deemed he wasn't in the bathroom. He wasn't in the house. Her heart began to pound. Davis was her charge, she'd taken responsibility for him. Steadying her breath, she told herself he'd just gone for a walk or something. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. Telling herself if he wasn't back in an hour, she'd go searching, Chloe pulled the turkey she and Martha had bought at the grocery store out of the oven and checked to make sure it had thawed enough. As she began to prepare the turkey, something supremely disgusting she thought she'd never do, Chloe let her mind wander. No one had been thrilled that she'd allowed Davis to come home with her. Least of all Martha when she'd talked the senator a day or so later. Davis had turned out to be a polite and almost invisible house-guest. He moved about the house quietly and spent most of his time out of doors when she and the boys were home. He came in for dinner where Lois or Oliver or both would eye him suspiciously. Otherwise, Chloe never saw him. He cleaned up the barn and had finally taken to helping Marcus around his place. He also never took his bracelet off.

The temptation was there, Chloe knew, after staying up on night and talking to him. But he swore he would never. He didn't want to see anymore bloodshed. He asked if he should turn himself over to John Jones for the death of Dr. Mickler.

"I've talked to John," Chloe told him. "Mickler's death is being pinned on Luthor. He said all confessing would get you would be a ticket on a red eye to some secret science lab. He said to call it temporary insanity. It wasn't your fault what happened to Dr. Mickler. It was something Lex caused when he experimented on you against your will."

"But what about Peter?" Chloe knew he meant Doug. "I killed him, Chloe."

Chloe reached over and held his hand as he cried. Just as before, Davis didn't ask for this. He didn't want to be this way, to be a monster. She had no answers for anything. She could barely get through a day herself without turning into a water fountain. Chloe couldn't help Davis get through his own pain while she was still being plagued by hers. All she could do was have a sympathetic ear.

"Good morning."

Chloe jumped and then turned to find Martha smiling on the last stair of the stairway.

"Good morning," Chloe replied. "I made coffee."

Martha came into the kitchen, rubbing Chloe's shoulder in a motherly way as she poured herself a cup. She, too, was wrapped in a robe, a manly, stripped one Chloe was sure had belonged to Jonathon. Chloe smiled, thinking of the boxers she still slept in occasionally.

"Do you want some help?" Martha offered.

"I've violated him already," Chloe said with a disgusted face. She went to the sink and washed her hands. "But you want to check and make sure I did it right?"

"Oh no," Martha shook her head adamantly. "Jonathon was the one who liked gizzards. He was in charged of cleaning out the turkey. There's not much up there anyway, so you probably got everything."

After the turkey had been seasoned and stuffed, Martha and Chloe shared a cup of coffee while the sky started to lighten.

"Have you spoken to Clark?" Chloe asked.

"Not since I said good-bye to him before I went back to Washington," Martha answered sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Martha," Chloe apologized for the hundredth time.

Martha looked over at Chloe. "I know you are, sweetie. But I knew the chance I took. I was well aware I might also drive a wedge between Clark and I when I kept your secret. But I still believe that you should have been given a chance to tell him first. And I still think he should let you explain. Have you tried calling him?"

Chloe lowered her head. "No. I ran into him at the Talon late one night when I went by to collect the rent."

Martha held her breath. "And?"

"Nothing. He wouldn't talk me. Just left the coffee he'd made on the counter and went to his apartment. I left a message inviting him here for today, but I doubt he'll show up."

"You never know," Martha tried to sound up-beat and positive. "He could have a change of heart. Chloe, he loves you. He will let you explain, but you have to keep trying."

Chloe opened her mouth to say something but both women were startled by the opening and closing of the back door. Chloe leaned around Martha and saw Davis clomping in.

"Davis, where have you been?" Chloe asked, sounding not unlike the harried mother of a rebellious teenager. She stood, completing the illusion by crossing her arms. She looks at his wrist and was set a little more at ease by the sight if the bracelet.

Davis looked to her and then Martha and then back to her. "Marcus asked if I would come over early and help him get through his chores so he could spend most of the day with his family."

"Oh," Chloe breathed embarrassedly. "Sorry. You didn't tell me. I just didn't expect you to be up that early."

"I'm going to go grab a shower," Davis said uncomfortably before he bounded up the staircase.

By ten o'clock that morning, the house was filled with laughing and jabbering people and the smell of roasting turkey. The kitchen was filled with dishes, both home-made and store bought. Lois and Oliver, the first to arrive, brought a few bottles of wine which were going pretty fast among the adults. Lana came next, bringing a yummy looking pumpkin pie with a piped whipped cream border. For the most part, Chloe and Martha spent the day in the kitchen, Lana and Dinah keeping them company while Lois would breeze between them and the pre-game show with the men. Connor and Kaid did the same, watching the game until they convinced Bart to come outside and play a game of tag and then, to their excitement, Bart was able to get a four-on-four touch football game going out in the front yard. The whole day was festive and chilly, coloring each person's cheek a healthy rose color. Davis even was somewhat more at ease, finding a easy rapport with Lana more so than the others.

Martha called the group all in for dinner around three. Squeezing in all around the kitchen table, Chloe smiled happily at all those surrounding her. Lois and Oliver sat at one end, holding hands and feeding each other stuffing, a scene from a Thanksgiving long ago. Dinah and AC were on the right side with Davis and Lana facing them. All six of them were talking boisterously, Dinah and Lois actually having a civil conversation about the Daily Planet. Connor and Kaid were next to her, in the customary seat in front of the window, playing their favorite game of Slaps with Victor and Bart while Martha took the seat next to Chloe and asked John about his job as a Detective on the Metropolis Police Force. It so close to perfect that Chloe began to feel suffocated. It was the kind of day Chloe would dream about when her dad would burn the tiny turkey they bought at the corner market or when she and Lois would serve lumpy mashed potatoes to Lucy, Gabe and the General's smoking cigar. But one thing was missing. The kitchen was getting too hot, too loud and Chloe shot out of her seat and out of the door, a hand to her mouth.

The room fell silent.

"I'll go. I'll go," Lois said hurriedly as both Lana and Martha stood. She shot a 'buck-up' smile to Connor and Kaid as she sailed out the door. "Chloe?" She called as she wrapped her arms around her in the cold.

Chloe stood a few feet from the barn, sobbing brokenly. Lois' heart broke for her. This is what she'd feared the most. For days, she'd suppressed the urge to b*tch-slap Clark as he sat sullenly across from her, looking for the world like Kaid when he didn't get his way. Even if this was because Chloe wasn't truthful, it took all her will-power not to march straight into town and give Clark the pummeling he deserved. Maybe Lois could smack some sense into his thick head. Lois knew her little cousin would just let it lie, let Clark come to her when he was ready. The way she always operated on Clark's timing. With defeat, Lois finally saw there was no way she could fix this for Chloe. She couldn't go find the one who had caused this heart arch and punch and kick and curse, because the fault lay with the woman Lois loved more than anything.

"Come here, baby," Lois said. She pulled Chloe to her, stroking her hair as she held her. Chloe sobbed openly into Lois' expensive silk blouse.

"I miss him so much," Chloe muttered between breaths and tears.

"I know. I know."

"This is all my fault!"

"I know. I know."

"It hurts so much. When will it stop? How do I make the pain stop?" Chloe asked frantically as she clung to her older cousin.

Lois pulled her in closer, feeling her own tears prick at Chloe's pleading. "I don't know, honey. I don't know."

* * *

Night closed in around him as he watched. The house was warmly lit and he saw people milling in and out of rooms. Rooms that were filled with laughter and merriment, two things he didn't think he'd ever experience again. The cold wind bit at his skin but he didn't feel it. He watched his mother as she washed dishes, her pretty red hair pulled back in a ponytail. John stood at her elbow drying every dish she handed him. He saw Lois and Oliver screaming at the TV as a player forced a fumble while Bart and AC threw handfuls of popcorn at them. Victor and Dinah played Monopoly with Connor and Kaid. Lana and to Clark's dismay, Davis, sat at the kitchen table talking quietly. These people were his co-workers, his friends, his family. He longed to be a part of them but felt a hot streak of anger when he thought of the secret they all kept from him. Even as Connor and Kaid were in danger, no one told him they were his. His eyes settled on his sons again.

Not only one, but _two. _Two things he thought he could never have. Clark didn't think he could create life with anyone on this planet. The thought that Connor and Kincaid might be his never crossed his mind. And with their blonde hair and hazel eyes, he, like everyone else, didn't even question that they were Oliver's. Their prospective birthdays, born exactly a year to the day after he left, made him think Oliver and Chloe had been together very soon after he'd left for training. Of course with him being Kryptonian and Chloe being human and Kryptonian years being four to one here on Earth, it wasn't surprising that maybe her gestation period had gone beyond that of a normal woman.

_Only Chloe could give me what I've always longed for._

Clark shook his head. Chloe had always been the one to give him what he needed. A friend, trust, love, support, acceptance and now a family. It shouldn't have surprised him that it was Chloe who bore his children. With a pang of guilt, Clark thought Chloe had always tried to move heaven and earth for him. But all that was stripped away by her deceit. He never thought Chloe would lie to him. He focused on Connor and Kaid again, but his thoughts soon turned to their mother. As if by will, she appeared. Clark stepped back into the shadows as Chloe came out onto the porch and sat on the porch swing with a steaming cup of coffee, no doubt. She was wrapped in a thick, burgundy colored coat on top of dark jeans. Her hair was down and free, falling to her shoulders in a pretty blonde curtain that seemed to shimmer in the twinkle lights. She sipped the coffee slowly, staring off into the distance. Clark wondered what she was thinking. Was she thinking of him? Was she thinking of what she could have done differently? Clark was shocked at the restraint he had to use to keep from bounding over to her. The depth of love he felt filling him now made it hard to breath. The anger he felt singing along his nerves was pushed aside and he fought hard to hold on to it. She betrayed him. Lied to him. Kept a secret, a life-changing secret from him. How could he ever trust her again?

As the first days had passed, Clark knew he was now more hurt than angry. Did she not want him to know? Why? Clark knew she wanted to explain. He wanted her to explain. He wanted her, period. He never thought Chloe could hurt him. And that was what scared him the most. Lana had been able to hurt him, too. Then she left him. Would Chloe do the same? Would she one day hurt him and leave him? Last night, he realized Chloe had always had the power to hurt him. Even more than anyone else. Chloe was the only one who Clark had given all of himself to. She was the one he trusted with every thing. His secret, his thoughts, his feelings, his heart. He knew it was wrong to compare Chloe with Lana. The two were totally different. The feelings he had for them were different. Uneasily, he knew he'd given Chloe so much more power than he'd ever given Lana. And the reason was because he believed Chloe would never hurt him. But she had.

The door opened and Davis emerged. Clark growled. What the hell was he doing in Clark's house, with his friends and family, on Thanksgiving? Clark balled his fists as Davis sat down next to Chloe, laying an arm along the back. It reminded Clark of all the times he and Chloe had sat just that way. They spoke softly. Clark didn't listen, he didn't want to. Chloe smiled sadly and then shook her head. Davis gripped her shoulder. Clark felt the unsettling urge to rip his arm off. He stepped out in the open more, to get a better view. Davis continued to sit, looking out in the night with Chloe. Then he squinted. Then he stood. Clark ducked back into a shadows.

"Did you see that?" Davis asked.

"No, what?" Chloe replied.

"Nothing. Maybe a coyote or something. Well, if you don't need anything," he trailed off.

"Thanks, Davis."

Clark watched Davis go back inside. Chloe stood, leaving her cup on the wooden bench. She walked off the porch, burying her hands in her pockets. She looked up at the crescent, sliver of the moon surrounded by the glimmering stars.

Her whispered voice filled his ears.

"Wherever you are, Clark, Happy Thanksgiving. And I am so sorry."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

_Eight years earlier. . . _

_Once Chloe buried herself in work, time began to pass. Passing so fast she would need to consult a calendar to even know what day it was. Her days would begin at nearly six in the morning and wouldn't end until an hour or two after midnight when she would drag herself home to a vegged out Retriever and a silent house. Most evenings were spent in the company of the League at Watchtower, setting up computer systems and security measures. When she wasn't with the League or working late at Isis, she was with Lois, nursing her through a bottle of Jack Daniels and a bad, but inevitable break-up, acting as a walking Thesaurus or calming the first date jitters. She lived on the occasional glazed donut followed by swallows and swallows of coffee, either too busy to sit to down and eat or too dang tired. For the first few weeks, Chloe felt fine, but the amount of work began to take it's toll. She wasn't sleeping like she used too and her appetite continued to wane. For the first time her in life, Chloe cut back on the caffeine. She limited herself to three cups in the morning to jumpstart her morning and hoped it would prove enough to get her through her long days. When kicking the latte addiction didn't work, she tried supplementing water, thinking she was dehydrated and she'd finally reached the age where it mattered what she put in her body. The first morning Chloe hovered over the toilet in the bathroom for ten minutes after two sips of coffee, she quit cold turkey. _

_"Maybe you should try_ eating_," Lois finally suggested one day when Chloe met her for lunch._

_"I'm just not hungry, Lois. Nothing seems appetizing or makes my stomach turn upside down," Chloe replied, pushing the chicken salad sandwich on toasted wheat bread she'd ordered away from her after only one nibble. "Plus, I don't know how with the daily bulimic sessions I'm having every morning in my bathroom, but I've gained about three pounds." _

_Lois stopped the last bite of her burger half way from her mouth. Chloe saw the look in her cousin's eyes and quickly shook her head, following her unspoken train of thought. "It's not_ that_," she assured Lois._

_"How do you know? Are you sure?" Lois fired back, putting down her burger and wiping her hands on a napkin. "When was you last-"_

_"A little over a month ago, right before he left, but Lois, it doesn't matter-"_

_"Like hell it doesn't matter! Did you use protection?" _

_Chloe laughed out loud at Lois' out-raged mother hen at her baby chick routine._

_"Chloe, this isn't funny," Lois began seriously. "Clark left about a month ago. You've been tired, you have no appetite, you're throwing up in the mornings and you've gained weight. You put the pieces together, Dr. Spock."_

_"First of all, Lois, I still a few months left on my year long birth control prescription, so calm down," Chloe replied, just as seriously, knowing there was just simply no way she was pregnant. Especially by Clark Kent of all people. "Secondly, I'm probably just bloated and have no appetite because that time of the month is coming up. Cool down. I'd know if something was up, trust me."_

_The next night, a Friday, Chloe allowed Lois to coax her to go on a double date with a guy she'd met in Mayor's Office and the guy's old college room-mate. The whole time Chloe felt as if she was being unfaithful. Under the intense scrutiny of her cousin, Chloe made the acceptable small talk, sipped sparingly of her Merlot which made her feel like she was about to puke and forced down most of her grilled salmon. By the time she'd begged off and arrived back home, she felt horrible. Crawling into bed, not even having the strength to slip out of her cocktail dress, Chloe cradled her tummy and moaned, praying the pains would end. She felt sick, physically and emotionally. As an act of penance for her indiscretion toward Clark, Chloe reached out and grasped the Blue K bracelet from his nightstand and slipped it on. Instantly, the pains began to lessen. Chloe soon fell into a deep sleep, awaking the next morning feeling better than she had for the past two weeks. For the whole weekend, Chloe kept the bracelet on. She felt almost normal and actually ate a few bites of the spaghetti Mrs. Hubbard had dropped by a few nights ago._

_A few more weeks passed. Whenever Chloe felt sick or tired, she would slip the bracelet and be right as rain. Her clothes began to tighten but Chloe attributed it to the no show of a certain friend and water retention. Pushing back a few of her clients in the morning, she began taking runs in the morning or doing crunches, hoping to find the elusive room in her clothes again. Her eating habits would swing from where she was craving almost everything in sight to where everything made her nauseous. She still hadn't touched coffee and was still abstaining, not wanting a repeat of the bathroom performances she seemed to have been reprieved from. When the two month mark of Clark's absence had passed and Chloe still hadn't returned to her regularly scheduled programming, she called her Doctor._

_"Have you been sexually active recently, Ms. Sullivan?" Dr. Garmon asked._

_"Well," Chloe hemmed, not wanting her doctor to think she was a one night kinda girl. "Yes, I have been," she told the woman._

_"Give it a few more weeks. When a woman goes from being non-active to active it's not uncommon for it to upset her flow. If you would feel better, we can schedule you for an exam."_

_"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you, Dr. Garmon." Chloe shut her cell phone, an unexpected rush of relief flowing over her._

_But that relief quickly vanished when the next month rolled around and still nothing. The morning sickness had returned and only wearing the bracelet one or two days didn't help it._

_"Chloe, I think you need to take some time off," Oliver finally told her one day in Watchtower as he put her through some physical training paces she'd insisted on._

_Chloe wiped the sweat from her brow and glared at the guy she'd come to view as an older brother despite the way they harmlessly flirted at times. "First you tell me to come back and bury myself in work. Now you tell me to take some time off? Make up your mind, Ollie."_

_"I mean it," Oliver brought their sparring to an end, not liking the paleness that was beginning to slip over Chloe right at that moment. "You look terrible."_

_"Thanks, Oliver. That's what every girl. . . wants to. . . hear. . ." Chloe fought for breath._

_"Chloe?"_

_Before she knew what had happened, she found herself flat on her back, looking up at Oliver._

_"What happened?" Chloe asked._

_"I don't know. You just. . . fainted," Oliver told her with concern._

_"I don't faint," Chloe countered._

_"Well, you just did. Have you been eating? Bart mentioned he hardly ever sees you eat anything anymore," Oliver said, pulling Chloe into a sitting position very slowly. _

_Chloe's head spun crazily and she clung to Oliver for a few moments. "I eat. Just not a lot. I don't have much of an appetite these days." _

_"I want you to make an appointment with your Doctor, Chloe. Something is going on. You're fine one day and than sicker than a dog the next. I want you to get it checked out," Oliver demanded._

_Chloe waved him away non-chalantly but vowed she would see her doctor before the week was up. _

_She made the appointment on a Thursday in the lunch hour. As had become their habit, Chloe and Lois would meet at either the Planet or Isis and go from there. On this day, Lois met Chloe outside the Doctor's office and accompanied her inside, flipping through the magazines and wagging her heel. When Chloe emerged, she was even paler than when she went in. Out on the sidewalk, Lois fluttered around her._

_"Chloe, what's wrong? Is everything okay? What did the Doctor say? Come on, Chloe! I'm about to have a cow!" _

_Chloe broke Lois' hold on her arm, made a dash for the nearest waste receptacle and threw up. Ignoring the disgusted stares of many Metropolis pedestrians, Chloe wiped her mouth and turned around to face Lois who had followed her and rubbed her back soothingly._

_"Honey," Lois cooed._

_Chloe gazed at Lois, looking like a lost street urchin. Finally, with quiet panic, she said, "I'm pregnant." _

* * *

_"Pregnant? You're_ pregnant_? How is that even possible?" Oliver questioned rapidly, pacing the length of the family room._

_"I don't know, but I am. I think is has something to do with the bracelet. Maybe, but I'm not sure," Chloe replied haltingly. She sat perched on the edge of the sofa, a cup of untouched decaf tea steaming in front of her._

_"What are you going to do?" Oliver asked with sympathy, taking a seat close to her._

_"What do you think I'm going to do, Oliver?" Chloe responded angrily._

_"That's not what I meant," Oliver snapped. "I just meant, I don't know what I meant." Oliver resumed pacing again._

_"You're making me nervous, Oliver. Do you mind? You're acting like you're the expectant father."_

_"Are you going to tell Clark? How would you even_ get _to Clark?" Oliver thought aloud as he sat down next to her._

_"I've thought about that and I'm just going to wait for him to come home," Chloe said serenely. "All this would do is upset his training and then I'd have a majorly pissed off AI on my ass again and I don't want to go through that a second time."_

_Oliver turned to Chloe. Taking her hand in his and squeezing, he said, "I'll help you. Anything you need, I'm here for you."_

_"Thanks, Oliver."_

_The two sat in silence for a few minutes._

_"What the hell are we going to tell the League? They'll expect Clark to be coming back."_

_"I'll take care of it," Oliver offered._

_Chloe eyed him seriously. "How?"_

_"I don't know. I'll think of something," Oliver pulled Chloe close in an one arm hug. The two were startled when the front door flew open. Looking behind them, they saw Lois standing open mouthed in the doorway._

_"Well," Lois started before assembling her features into a cool mask. "Clark's, huh?"_

_"Lois-" Chloe said urgently, standing to her feet and making her way over to Lois. "This isn't what it looks like."_

_Lois lifted a brow._

_"Really, Lois," Oliver joined in. "Chloe and I are just friends."_

_"Sure," Lois said with blatant skepticism. "Because the two of you run in such similar social circles."_

_"Lois, Oliver and I are just friends. Nothing more."_

_Lois cracked under Chloe's earnest stare. She had the grace to look embarrassed. "Sorry," she muttered. "Knee jerk reaction. Little cousin dating the one who got away, jealousy and betrayal run rampant."_

_"I'll just be going," Oliver said uneasily. "See you two, later." Oliver ducked out, giving Lois one more lingering glance._

_Lois shrugged off the encounter and smiled. "How are you feeling?"_

_"I just found out this afternoon I was pregnant, Lois. I don't know how I'm feeling yet," Chloe answered, sitting back down._

_Lois made her way into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of lemonade. "Have you called him yet?" She called over her shoulder as she replaced the pitcher._

_"Called who?"_

_Lois stalked back into the family room, glass in hand. "Um, hello? The Ross to your Rachel? Clark Kent, aka Baby Daddy."_

_Chloe squirmed under Lois' watchful gaze. _

_"Whoa there, Nelly," Lois blustered, setting her glass and not taking the time for a coaster. "You are going to tell him, right?"_

_"He's not really in a place where I can reach him," Chloe said truthfully._

_"How is that possible in this day age? Unless he's somehow found himself up in Santa's Workshop, which by the way, still gets snail mail," Lois quipped_

_"Lois, five hours ago, my life changed. Excuse me if I'm still being a little self preoccupied right now," Chloe replied incredulously._

_Lois blanched. "Sorry, sorry. How are you feeling?" She asked again._

_Chloe rolled her eyes._

* * *

_Chloe took some time off to think and plan and just be. For a few days, all she did was sit in the family room, sun streaming in the windows and Shelby at her feet. Since she found out, she'd refused to give in to the urge to rub her belly in the annoying way all pregnant women did. But now that Chloe was a pregnant woman, the gesture didn't seem so empty and attention-calling. Looking down at her still flat stomach, she wondered when it would start to grow. Hesitantly, looking around as if she was afraid someone would catch her, Chloe rested a hand over her navel. Part of her still didn't believe, still thought it was all a joke and she would wake up tomorrow and need to rush to the grocery store for a box of Tampax Pearl. By her doctor's calculations, she was fifteen weeks pregnant, already in her second trimester._

_"It's perfectly normal. Most woman don't even know they're pregnant until the middle of the second trimester. You're ahead of schedule!" The nurse gushed. Chloe tried to smile back excitedly, but she wasn't there yet._

_The fact that her baby was half-Kryptonian didn't faze her at first, but when she noticed she was more comfortable after sitting in the sun for a couple of hours or wearing the bracelet, she knew it was time to find a new doctor. Oliver's first and only choice was Dr. Emil. _

_"Looks like I've got a surprise for you," he said when she came in for her ultrasound._

_Visions of a two headed Clark-baby swirled in her mind as Chloe tried to remain calm. "Surprise?" Chloe squeaked._

_Dr. Emil replaced the wand along her belly. "Listen." He reached over and turned up the volume._

_Chloe heard the steady_ _lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub of her child's heartbeat._

_"Do you hear it?"_

_Chloe listened closer. Suddenly, she heard two lub-dubs._

_"Is that-?"_

_"Yep," Dr. Emil confirmed. "Looks like you're going to have twins, Chloe. Do you want to know what they are?"_

_"You can tell already?"_

_"Pretty much. Do you want to know?"_

_Chloe nodded, unable to speak._

_"Male," Dr. Emil said after another quick look at the screen. "You're having twin boys."_

_Chloe continued to grow. Everywhere. Her breasts doubled in size, which wasn't so bad but so did her hips. Her belly keep getting rounder and rounder until it entered a room five minutes before she did. She adapted a waddle, due to the fact her thighs no longer touched and she lived in pink house slippers. Oliver and Martha and Lois became ever-present in her life, each one spending at least two or three days with Chloe around the clock when she went on maternity leave. As her due date approached, all watched her like a balloon ready to pop. Lois, who'd finally been promoted, got picked up to go on the campaign trail for a politician. With a remorseful good-bye, Chloe breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to explain to Lois why she was a month past her due date with no babies in sight._

_And finally, on the day their father had been gone for a year, Connor Joseph and Jonathon Kincaid made their appearance._

* * *

_With surprising ease, Chloe made it through the first year as a single mother. Connor and Kaid were the center focus of her life. She would lug them to work with her and to Watchtower meetings, the Leaguers always ready to cuddle and burp and feed the growing boys. No one spoke of paternity, although all suspected that the boys were Oliver's and he never denied it. Only Oliver and Lois knew. As the boys first birthday approached, Chloe became more nervous. As with all new parents, she planned a birthday party with only close friends and family invited. Her dad flew down to spend a few days with the family before heading back where he lived in Baltimore near to her mother's hospital._

_The day was perfect. It was sunny and warm and Connor and Kaid, being one year old, were on their best behavior. But Chloe wasn't all there. She kept looking around her, gazing at the horizon. She snapped pictures and served cake and punch, but Oliver could see she was growing continually more flustered. The day began winding down, guests leaving with the setting of the sun. As night fell, Lois and Oliver helped Chloe clean up as she stood at the door looking out. Connor and Kaid rolled on a rug, their attention caught by the new, shiny punch and play Lois had bought them. A month passed and then another and then another. Chloe slipped into a melancholy state. She called into work, skipped League meetings and would sit Connor and Kaid in the play pen in her room and lay in bed._

_After the third League meeting Chloe missed, Oliver drove out to the Farm. Furniture was gathering dust and dishes were collecting. He heard Connor and Kaid crying and followed the sad sound. He found them, Connor and Kaid in the play pen, holding onto the sides as they stood . Chloe was curled up in bed. Oliver picked both boys up. They hadn't been neglected, but Oliver knew that Chloe usually didn't use the pen as a baby-sitter. Changing their diapers and then putting them in the cribs that were stuffed into Clark's room, Oliver went back into Chloe's bedroom. Sitting on the bed, Oliver shook her, jolting her awake._

_Chloe glared at him. "What?"_

_"What do you think you're doing?" Oliver asked._

_"I was sleeping," she snapped._

_"It's five o'clock in the evening, Chloe. You missed another meeting. Connor and Kaid are screaming because they're hungry and you're in bed. What are you doing?"_

_"Leave me alone, Oliver," Chloe growled, pulling the covers over her head._

_"No," Oliver said sternly, yanking the covers down again. "You didn't just shrivel up and stop living because Clark left the first time, did you? Why should you now?"_

_Chloe sat up and looked at him, her eyes, usually sparkling and full of joy, were dead. "I wanted to. But someone wouldn't leave me the hell alone," she snarled._

_"Well, it's not just about you now, is it? You've got two babies that need you. And I'll be damned if I'm going to see you give up on life just because Clark is gone."_

_Chloe's chin began to quiver. Oliver reached out and stroked a strand of hair behind Chloe's ear._

_"Besides, he's not really gone, is he? He's in the next room," Oliver told her quietly._

_Chloe put her head to Oliver's chest and cried._

* * *

_"I need you're help, Oliver," Chloe said one day while the two of them were washing dishes after dinner._

_Oliver turned and looked at Chloe. Another year had come and gone and still no Clark. He followed her gaze over his shoulder and watched newly three year old Connor and Kaid wrestling on the floor, Shelby barking and nipping excitedly around them._

_"What Chloe?"_

_"I'm going to go find Clark," she told him simply._

_Oliver almost dropped a glass. "What?"_

_"I'm going to go find Clark." Chloe shut off the water._

_"I heard you the first time, Chloe. How do you think you're going to do this? You said yourself you didn't know where he was," Oliver pointed out._

_"No, but Jor-El does," Chloe replied, drying the remainder of the dishes as Oliver stared at her._

_"And just how do you propose to get a hold of ole' ice encrusted Grandaddy?"_

_"I'm going to go up to the Fortress and ask. Who knows, Clark may be there by now."_

_"Chloe," Oliver started. "I don't think that-"_

_"He should have been back by now. It's been four years. He could be hurt somewhere or trapped."_

_"If Clark is hurt or trapped somewhere, I doubt he would want you getting involved!" Oliver exclaimed._

_"My mind is made up, Oliver. You can come with me or I can go alone. Either way, I'm going."_

* * *

_Chloe took Oliver's hand as she slipped the key into it's slot. Dressed in their warmest arctic clothes, the unearthly bright light surrounded them and suddenly, they were standing a ways away from a vast icy erection. Oliver shook his head and squinted against the bright sunlight bouncing off the white snow. Chloe set her shoulders._

_"Come on," she said before she began trudging toward the Fortress._

_The walk was staggering. Oliver and Chloe pulled their coats closer and mittens tighter. Oliver fought the urge to lick his already chapped lips. An eternity later, they finally stood looking up at the stories high Fortress. Chloe strode forward, calling for Clark. Oliver looked around him, taking in the pillars and daises, a regular ice castle._

_When Chloe got no response from Clark, she started calling for Jor-El. No answer for ten minutes and Chloe was hoarse from yelling._

_"Chloe, no one's home obviously," Oliver said. He didn't feel uneasy here but he sure didn't feel welcomed either._

_"He's here. He's just being stubborn. Jor-El!"_

_Oliver jumped when a disembodied male voice shook the inside._

_"Can I help you?"_

_Oliver would have laughed had he been able to see where the voice was speaking from. He turned around and around and finally glanced Chloe standing in front of some sort of crystal console as it glowed._

_"Kal-El, where is he?" Chloe asked with preamble._

_"What business of it is yours?"_

_The voice sounded irritated and Oliver waited for a bolt of lightning._

_Chloe bristled. "I need to know where you son is, Jor-El. I have to know if Clark is safe. What have you done with him?" Chloe accused._

_"I have done nothing with him. You should not have come here. You have no place in this Fortress. Kal-El always neglected his Kryptonian destiny due to you humanly interference."_

_Chloe blinked away tears. "Please, Jor-El," she pleaded, changing tactics. "I just want to know where he is, if he's safe. I have to know. Please tell me where Clark is."_

_The structure seemed to sigh around them. "The Clark Kent you seek no longer exists." And like a candle in the wind, the console went out._

_Chloe stood unmoving and then with a piercing scream began kicking the ice with the tip of her steel-toed boot. "That is not an answer! Tell me where Clark is now!"_

_Oliver hurried over and bodily picked Chloe up, carrying her backward as she struck out blindly. "Do you really want to anger the man behind the curtain, Chloe?" Oliver asked in a huff._

_Chloe stumbled away from him and landed on her knees a few feet from the console. "He can't be gone, Oliver," she whispered. "He just can't be. No matter what the Great Wizard of the Arctic says."_

* * *

_"I forgot how nice it was to see a movie without two squirming children in tow," Chloe said as she walked along beside Oliver from the Metropolis Multiplex._

_"And without any talking animals," Oliver added._

_"Still having nightmares about suburbanite rodents stealing your beer cooler?" Chloe teased._

_Oliver chuckled. He slipped a companionable arm around Chloe shoulders as the two made their way toward the Met Stop around the corner. They walked along in comfortable silence. As always, Chloe's mind would bring forth images of movies she'd seen with Clark and the friendly silences that would stretch between them as they walked back to his truck. Quickly, Chloe pushed them away, feeling guilty for thinking of Clark while on a date with Oliver. _

_They had begun dating almost a year ago, two years after the trip to the Fortress to find Clark._

_"Chloe, how long are you going to put your life on hold waiting for Clark?" Oliver had asked one night when they had both stayed late at Watchtower._

_Chloe lifted her head from some transmission patterns she was trying to break. "What do you mean?"_

_Oliver sighed. He pushed himself out of the recliner and walked over to her, standing closer than he normally did. "It's been six years, Chloe. It's time to move on."_

_Chloe stiffened. "I'm not putting my life on hold, Oliver. You know I don't have time for a relationship with all that I do. And who wants to date a woman who is usually covered with crayola markers and has 'Goodnight Moon' memorized?"_

_Oliver rolled his eyes. He'd always liked Chloe and he knew she was lonely. So was he. And like the practical business man he was, he approached the idea from all angles. _

_"I would," Oliver told her simply. _

_"Oliver," Chloe started._

_"Just give me a chance, Chloe," Oliver said hurriedly. "We keep the same hours. We know who the other really is. I know about Connor and Kaid. You're my best friend. We're both not interested in relationship based on romance and passion."_

_"Wow, Oliver. You just swept me off my feet," Chloe replied sarcastically._

_Oliver grinned. "You know we'd be good together."_

_"Oliver, I like you. You are. . ." Chloe trailed off. "I can't ever think of an adjective to describe how much you mean to me. And I can't argue with your reasoning. But the same reasons you mentioned could be our undoing. We work together. You're my best friend, too. You are very close to my kids. And while you and I together makes sense, have you though about what Lois would think of all this?"_

_"If I talk to her, will you think about it?" Oliver asked softly, taking Chloe's hands in his own._

_Chloe curled her hands into Oliver's. She'd always found him attractive, but her heart would always belong to Clark. "I'll always love Clark," she told him truthfully._

_Oliver didn't even blink. "I know that. How many times have we both sat up here complaining about how lonely both of us are? Chloe, I think you're sexy as hell. The way you are with your sons, how you manage Isis and Watchtower and that you can hack a firewall in sixty seconds flat. I would like to think you aren't immune to me, as well." Oliver's eyes twinkled as Chloe blushed prettily. "One date. That's all I'm asking."_

_"One date," Chloe agreed. "But only if Lois gives her blessing."_

_"She already has."_

_"What?"_

_"Come on, Chloe," Oliver laughed. "You know me better than that. I always come prepared to win."_

_That night, when Chloe relieved Lois of baby-sitting duty, she had her own in-depth discussion about Oliver with her cousin. After Lois assured Chloe she was fine with the change in status between Chloe and Oliver and she'd left, Chloe put her sons to bed. Once shut in her own room, she sat on the edge of her bed. With a deep breath, she opened the drawer of her new nightstand. Inside was a pretty cut glass box about the size of a fist. Chloe took it out carefully. Taking the lid off and laying it aside, Chloe reached in and pulled out the bracelet._

_It had been six years since Clark left and not a word. She'd gone to Fortress one more time without Oliver. Jor-El hadn't even spoken to her. She'd tried to wander around but every time she got close to another section of the Fortress a strong arctic wind would blow, nearly knocking her to her feet. Oliver was right. Who knew when Clark would come back. And she was lonely. More lonely than when Clark left. It was time. Time to move on. Bringing the rock to her lips, Chloe kissed it fleetingly before finding an empty shoe box in the closet and putting it safely inside. Standing on her tiptoes, she pushed it back to where she could barely see it. With tears in her eyes, she closed the door and a chapter of her life._

Chloe jumped as a hand was laid on her shoulder, startling her out of her past.

"Sorry, sweetie," Martha said. She placed a cup of hot chocolate next to Chloe before taking a seat on the stool next to her. She leaned in close and looked at the screen of Chloe's laptop. She pulled back with sad eyes. "You still haven't changed your mind?"

"No," Chloe shook her head. "I think it's for the best."

"Try again. Please, try again."

"I have," Chloe said. "I have sent him emails, I have left him long voicemails, I even wrote him a letter. He's either ignored them all or has read and is still choosing to stay away."

"But why this?" Martha asked, gesturing to the screen.

"My reasons for staying no longer exist. We need a fresh start. _I _need a fresh start. Plus, it's closer to my parents. And we're closer to Washington, too."

Martha shook her head, refusing to see the positives of Chloe leaving Smallville, of leaving Clark. "And there's nothing I can do to change your mind?"

Chloe smiled sadly. "Afraid not. I've made up my mind. I've already found a house very close to where my dad lives."

"How soon are you leaving?" Martha asked, looking at the Tudor style home on a smaller scale on the screen of the laptop.

"Day after Christmas."

"That's in less two weeks!" Martha exclaimed. "Have you told Clark?"

"I told him in the letter I wrote him. I haven't heard anything."

"Then he doesn't know. Chloe, Clark would not let you leave. You have to go to him, face to face."

"I've tried!" Chloe said with frustration. "Look, Martha," Chloe amended gently. "He's made his choice. It's time for us all to move on."

"I can't imagine this is his choice," Martha argued. "Clark wouldn't give up his children! He wouldn't give you up. I _know _he loves you!"

Chloe pressed her mouth into a thin line. With swift decisiveness, she emailed the listing to her realtor along with an offer on the house. She looked over at Martha who was staring agape at what Chloe had just done, cementing her move.

Chloe met Martha's tear-filled eyes unwaveringly. "Sometimes love isn't enough."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Clark stood on an adjacent roof-top building, his powerful arms crossed over his chest as the wild winter wind mussed his hair and made the tails of his overcoat flap out behind him like dark angel wings. He watched as the red SUV pulled into it's assigned parking space. Chloe sat behind the wheel for a few more seconds, fixing her make-up in the rearview mirror. Clark bit the inside of his cheek when he realized she was wiping a tissue under her eyes and set about fixing her mascara. She must have cried all the way from Smallville. The constant war within him raged forth. Part of him wanted to reveal himself and kiss the tears away, but the other part rebelled, enjoying the anger and self-righteousness of being the injured party once again. Chloe recapped her mascara and shoved it into her purse, opening the door and stepping down from the vehicle.

As every other morning, she'd gotten up around six-thirty. After taking a shower, she sat on the edge of the tub and slathered some kind of sweet smelling goo into her skin. She then wrapped herself in that tattered yellow robe, twisting her hair up and clipping it at the back of her head. She brushed her teeth and then went into boys' room, waking first Kaid and then Connor. The boys grumbled slightly before coming slowly awake. Chloe didn't leave until the boys were sitting up and wide-eyed in their bunks. Once she had the boys up, she went to the kitchen where she found his mom making breakfast and chatting with Davis who had come in for some food before going back over to the Hubbards'. Chloe smiled a good morning and like all the other times, Clark's blood boiled when she would pay attention to the interloper at his kitchen table. Martha kissed Chloe's cheek before handing her a cup of coffee, sending the woman back upstairs to get ready.

An hour later, Chloe and the boys tramped down the stairs where they ate all the breakfast prepared by Martha. At eight o'clock on the nose, Chloe herded the boys out and into the SUV. At eight-ten, Chloe pulled up in front of Smallville Elementary. Clark watched from a safe distance as Chloe parked and walked both boys up to the front of the building. With disdainful expressions, they accepted her good-bye kisses before they ran off and joined some other boys walking into the school, their backpacks bobbing on their shoulders and golden hair glinting in the morning sun. Standing by the hood of her car, Chloe watched as Connor and Kaid disappeared into the school. At this moment, Clark himself zipped back to the Talon apartment and sped through his morning shower. Dressed and ready for work, he downed a bowl of cereal and a few pieces of toast before taking his place outside his apartment door.

Like clockwork, at eight-eighteen, the right door swung open with a jingle and Chloe walked in. And like every other morning, her eyes fluttered up to the second floor landing. Unlike every other morning, though, Clark stayed where he was. Adjusting the knot of his tie at his throat, he met Chloe's eyes. For a moment, he was taken aback. Every other time they'd met, whether it be in the frozen food aisle in the grocery store or across the street, Chloe would look at him with her heart in eyes, remorse and guilt pleading with him. Not today. Today, the glassy green depths were sparking with anger and resentment. Forcing her lips into a cold smile, Chloe shook the blonde waves she'd arranged her hair in out of her face and thrust her shoulders forward, gliding on impossibly tall heels to the counter where she placed her order. Clark's heart beat in his chest as she tapped her clear polished nails on the glass, holding her chin high in a regal manner. Exchanging the money in her hand for the red and black Styrofoam container, Chloe smiled graciously at the girl behind the register. Clark didn't know why, but the emotion in her eyes moved him more than all the apologetic glances in the world could. Bounding down the stairs toward her, he arrived at the bottom stair as she crossed over the threshold. He stood transfixed as she walked right past him, sliding over-sized oval sunglasses onto her face, shielding her eyes from him. She paused, her hand on the bar of the door. Clark waited, praying she would turn back to him. Instead, her back stiffened and Chloe stalked out in to the bright morning light.

He'd flown high overhead, watching the SUV below him as it made it's way along the twists and turns of HWY 94, leading into Metropolis. Minutes before Chloe pulled into her spot, Clark had landed on the roof-top next to Isis. Whether Clark wanted to admit it or not, this had become his favorite part of the day. Like a druggie always looking for his next fix, Clark drank in the sight of Chloe sauntering into the lobby. With a burst of speed, Clark changed roof-tops, finding one that looked directly into her office. The dynamic had changed between them this morning. Clark was no longer the only one angry. He couldn't deal with an angry and resentful Chloe. He didn't like feeling like he was somehow to blame for the chasm that stretched between them. But he did. He'd deleted her texts and emails without reading them. He'd deleted her voicemails without listening to them. He'd thrown out her letter without opening it. One of the double doors opened and Chloe stepped inside her office. Clark watched as she walked across the carpet to her desk. She was wearing Clark's favorite pair of heels, the ones that slimmed her calves and lifted her rear and lengthened her legs. They matched the teal color of her pencil skirt.

_Why does it have to be like this? Why can't I just get over it? _Clark shouted at himself. With a heavy sigh, Clark pushed himself into the air. He needed to be at work. Perry had been jumping on him for weeks now about dragging himself in at nine-thirty every morning. By nine-thirty, it was usually safe to go into the office. Lois, by that time, was usually off chasing down a lead and Clark could avoid her until early afternoon when she came trudging in, either snarling at a dead end or almost vibrating off her chair in excitement at a possible story angle. The partnership and tentative friendship between him and Lois had disintegrated. Now all they were, were two reporters who shared the same work space and that was it. Lois was starting to cover more and more of Superman's feats, although sightings of the man were hard to come by. Mostly people were just seeing a blue blur, Clark not having the nerve to show himself like he did the day of the elevator explosion. Clark was covering more public interest stories, annoying the crap out of Perry with articles about pet shelter adoptions and the lack of funding for the Senior Center, resulting in a shortage of water-wings for the Splashing Seniors Water Aerobics class. Lois hardly spoke to him when she did see him which was just fine with Clark.

He came down beside the dumpsters behind the Daily Planet. Striding around the corner of the block, Clark entered the revolving doors and made his way up to the fifth floor. The doors opened and Clark pushed his way to the front and out. Shrugging out of his overcoat, he looked about the newsroom. It was quiet, what with it being a few days before Christmas most people had taken off or left on vacation time to be with family. Boughs of holly with tiny lights were strung around the tops of the walls and a lot of desks were decorated for the holiday. There was even a short Christmas tree beside the coffee maker in the corner. And at his desk, Clark spied a tall woman dressed in a elf costume that looked as if it should be paired with a mall Santa. He groaned when he realized the woman was Lois. And she was holding a bag in her fingers with his name on it. Clark fought the urge to run. He didn't like the idea that was running through his head.

"Hey, Clark," Katie, one of the other reporters greeted him, smiling brightly at him.

"Hi, Katie," Clark replied, ignoring the flirtatious tone in her voice.

Lois spun around at the sound of his name. She shot Katie a murderous glance that sent the girl ducking behind a file cabinet and then turned back to Clark. Her eyes softened a tad, but didn't lose the dangerous gleam. Clark remembered Chloe's eyes but quickly pushed the memory away. Clark stopped six inches from Lois' green slippers with a little gold bell at the tip of the tall curve.

"I never pegged you as one of Santa's Helpers, Lois," Clark said snidely. "More of a minion."

"Can the 'tude, Smallville. Catch," Lois replied as she tossed the bag to him.

Clark caught it and peered down inside. A mound of red fabric with white fur edging lay in wait. Clark shook his head. "I don't think so," Clark said, leaning over and dropping the bag back on his desk. "You can find some other drone to play the Jolly Man. I don't know what you have planned but this was never in my job description."

"Sorry, Scrooge. This came down this morning, straight from the top. Barney, the guy who plays Santa every year at the Toys For Tots rally, is sick. Oliver needed a substitute. Your name was the one pulled out of the gift bag," Lois stood, the bells attached to her elf costume tinkling. "Rally started ten minutes ago. Suit up and let's go."

"I'm not doing it," Clark said stubbornly. "You two can find some one else to make a fool of. I think I've had my fill for awhile."

Lois halted. She turned around slowly, keeping her fists balled at her hips. She stared at Clark. "Made a fool of you? Is that what you think we did?"

Clark decided against sitting down. Lois was in fighting stance and Clark could use all four inches he had on her. Clark started to respond, but Lois beat him to it.

"Yes, that's exactly what me and Ollie were doing. Watching you with your sons and laughing at you behind your back," Lois spoke in measured tones. "Do you actually hear yourself?"

Again, Clark tried to respond. Again, Lois barreled on.

"You have two of the most amazing sons who are so full of life and joy and love. And what have you done? Have you got to know them? Have you spent any time with them? No, because you are too busy pouting just like Kaid does when Chloe won't let him have ice cream before dinner. Did any of this play out like any of us wanted? Do you think I _enjoy _watching my cousin slowly start to cut herself off from everyone again? Just like she did when you left her the first time?"

With every word Lois gained volume and took a few more steps, coming toe to toe with Clark.

"I have spent _sixteen years _watching Chloe mourn for your sorry ass. All that time, I may not have _liked _you, but I _respected_you. I thought you may have been a pretty stand-up guy. Even when Chloe was raising those boys by herself and going for days without sleep or a moment to herself. I knew there had to be something special about you when Chloe would refuse to say a word against you, even when she was at her wit's end and her nerves were shot. All these years I've been telling Chloe, you're not worth her time. You're not worth her tears. You're just not _worth it." _Lois finished on a snarl. She started to stalk off, but turned on a dime and glared at him through a vicious smile. "I love being right, Clark. But just this once, I would have loved even more to be wrong."

* * *

Lights twinkled up at him from the decorated roof-tops of a housing edition in Metropolis. It was Christmas Eve and most people would think the night would be quiet. Wrong. Clark had already stopped three muggings, five drunk drivers and even one tree fire from a busted Christmas light in an apartment in Suicide Slums. Clark looked at his watch. It was only seven-thirty. He shook his head. Behind, he picked up the crunch of footsteps. Stilling, he listened closer as the footsteps came nearer. Just as he was about to put on a burst of speed, a familiar voice spoke into the cold night.

"Nice outfit. Little too brooding for you, though. But, that's just my opinion."

Clark looked down at the long black leather coat he was wearing over a black t-shirt and black pants with black motorcycle boots. He turned to Oliver, dressed up as the Green Arrow.

"You think you're the only one who can pull off the leather look?" Clark asked sarcastically.

Oliver flashed his teeth in a grin, pulling off his sunglasses and pushing back his hood. "I read about the Monorail collision you stopped. Very impressive. You better be careful, Lois is starting to develop a serious case of hero worship."

"I wouldn't worry, Oliver. If Lois ever finds out who Superman really is, she'll start saying he's the devil incarnate," Clark threw back.

"You should give her more credit. She doesn't hate you, Clark."

"You could have fooled me." Clark turned back to the city. He felt Oliver come up beside him. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you and Lois be cuddled up somewhere with some glasses of spiked egg nog?"

"Don't you know heroes never get nights off? I was actually heading out when I saw you up here. Christmas Eve dinner," Oliver paused. "In Smallville."

Clark schooled his features. He didn't respond, just kept looking off in the distance, listening for sounds of trouble.

"You know, the gang would love to have you. We missed you on Thanksgiving," Oliver tried again.

Clark took a deep breath. He looked over at Oliver. "Well, thanks for stopping by. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer from the big celebration."

"Right," Oliver replied. He followed Clark's gaze back out over the city. "How long are you going to punish her?"

Clark tensed. "I'm not punishing anyone."

"She made a mistake, Clark. Something you know all about. Don't stand there and act like you've never made a choice you regretted. Or made a decision for someone else because you thought it was the right thing for them."

The two men met each other eyes.

"How could Chloe keeping the fact that I'm a father be the right thing for me? Or letting me think that Connor and Kaid belonged to you?" Clark questioned, facing Oliver.

"I don't know, Clark. Maybe you should ask _Chloe," _Oliver responded. "She's tried to explain things to you, but you keep pushing her away. You _owe _her the chance to explain."

"I owe her _nothing," _Clark said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, really?" Oliver barked back. "Tell me, Clark, who helped you run and hide up at the North Pole? Who put your life before hers trying to bring you back from that Phantom place you got sucked into with Lois? Who, during every mission we ever worked together, kept one eye on _you _and the other eye on the _five _of us? For the past eight years, who is the woman who has been raising _your sons by herself _while trying at the same time to protect their secret and your identity? Chloe has been your best friend for a _long _time Clark and she has _always _put your feelings and well-being before hers."

"Then why didn't she tell me?"

"Because she was scared!" Oliver exclaimed. "She was scared, Clark."

"Of what?" Clark asked, not really expecting an answer.

"That is something you need to ask her."

"I don't know if I can get past this, Oliver," Clark admitted quietly. "I have always trusted Chloe. She's always been the one whose stood by me. How could she do this? She lied to me. You all lied to me." Clark turned his head and looked at Oliver. "How could you keep something like this from me? I thought you were my friend."

Oliver's face clouded for a moment. "For the same reason I never told Chloe that you played Dr. Howard Mierzwaik with her memory. Because I was asked not to," Oliver told him pointedly before he clapped Clark on the shoulder and turned, walking across the roof-top to the fire escape. Clark stayed facing the north, watching the clouds that were moving in, promising snow.

"She's leaving, you know."

Clark turned and looked at Oliver, one foot on the fire escape. "What do you mean?"

"Chloe's leaving."

"Leaving what? The League? Isis?"

"She's leaving Smallville." Oliver stepped back on the roof, meeting Clark in the middle of the roof. "She told you. In the letter she wrote, she told you she was leaving."

"I didn't read it."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "She and the boys are moving to Baltimore to be closer to her parents. She sees no point in staying in Smallville any longer."

"When is she leaving?" Clark asked, feeling frantic. He didn't want Chloe to leave him.

"Day after tomorrow. Her and Davis-"

_"Davis?" _Clark growled.

"Yeah," Oliver continued, hiding a small smile. "Her and Davis are driving up. She's bought a house and everything."

"Well, you have to stop her, Oliver."

Oliver laughed. "You think I haven't tried? All of us have. Including your mother." He sombered. "But her mind is made up. She says she needs a fresh start. There are too many memories here."

Clark swallowed. He felt like he was losing everything.

"We all make mistakes. What's important is what we do _after _we make the mistake. I know Chloe hurt you, but she _wants _to make it right. And letting Chloe leave, letting Connor and Kaid leave, will be the biggest mistake you will ever make. Take it from some one who knows. Girls like Chloe, they only come around once in a lifetime. When they do, you hold on to them. No matter what. You will never find some one who loves you as much as Chloe does. And I know you love her. You can't let this stand between you."

"Sometimes love isn't enough." Clark looked at Oliver, still at odds with himself.

Oliver shook his head. "Love should _always _be enough." He turned and slid down the fire escape. Clark watched him ride off on his bike, Oliver's words ringing in his head.

Clark watched until Oliver's tail-light was swallowed up into the darkness. Chloe was leaving. She was leaving Smallville. And she was taking his sons with her. Clark didn't know what to do. Clenching his jaw, he realized he'd foolishly believed Chloe would continue to wait for him until he was ready. Just like she had always done. But he'd given her no encouragement that he would in fact be coming back.

Oliver had been right. Chloe wouldn't have done this without some kind of reason. She had never once been intentionally hurtful or deceitful. She'd been his best friend. She'd walked through hell with him and _for _him.

"_She has always put your feelings and well-being before hers." _Even when he didn't deserve it. And she was leaving. Leaving for the same reasons Clark had left eight years ago. Clark couldn't let her leave. He didn't _want _her to leave.

"Love should always be enough," Clark whispered to himself. He was still mad and he was still hurt. But he loved her. He loved Chloe Sullivan more than he could have ever imagined loving someone. He loved her for who she'd been to him and who she was. He loved her for always loving him, even when she was certain it would never be returned. Most of all, he loved her for the life they'd created together and the family she'd given him. He loved his sons. He didn't know them, but he loved them. He couldn't live without Chloe and the boys. The memory of the eight, long lonely years he'd spent in the Fortress without her smile, her smell, her annoying habit of talking at warp speed pressed in around him. He couldn't go a day without seeing her. He'd been basically stalking her since the night at the warehouse, tracking her every move when he could. If she moved to Baltimore, it would be even more difficult than it was now. She couldn't go. She couldn't take his sons. The boys he hadn't even gotten to know. And they would need him, too. He'd been so selfish this past month. He'd only been thinking of what Chloe had done to him, what they all had done to him. But what had he done to them? What had he done to Chloe? To their sons? He promised he would never leave her again and at the first wave of trouble he bolted. He abandoned her again and not just her. Connor and Kincaid, too.

Clark leaned against the brick wall of a neighboring building. He hadn't even told he loved her. She didn't even know. Clark didn't know if he could stop her from leaving. Maybe he'd already missed the opportunity of letting Chloe explain herself and maybe they could never go back, but he had to try. He had to tell her how he felt. Beyond that, Clark wanted to know why she'd done it. Why she'd kept all this from him? Clark clenched his fist. He wouldn't let Chloe leave. Not like this. And not with Davis.

Pushing off, Clark shot into the air and headed north, toward the Fortress of Solitude.

* * *

Clark touched down at the end of the driveway. He saw a few cars and Oliver's bike. Like Thanksgiving, all the windows were lit up and a few strands of elegant white Christmas lights were hung from the eaves of the house. Out of habit, Clark focused and the walls melted away. The fired crackled happily while the people gathered around it drank from cups with snowflakes or reindeer painted on them. Shelby, with reindeer antlers tied behind his ears, laid across Connor and Kaid's laps as they watched 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. Clark took a deep breath. He walked the length of the driveway. As he stepped up on the porch, he stomped the snow from his boots. He'd changed into jeans and a red sweater, wanting to at least try to look in the festive mood. He even had a green t-shirt on underneath. Steeling himself, Clark reached out and rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it!"

Clark breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Chloe's voice call out. Clark turned, his breath taken away at the prospect of seeing her again, being this close to her. He heard the door knob turn. The door opened as he swung back around.

Lois glowered at him from the doorway. "Can I help you?"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Chloe blotted the delicate skin under her eyes. She hadn't counted on seeing Clark this morning. She'd never seen Clark lurking in the Talon that early in the morning. Smallville had grown slightly since their adolescence, but it still was uncommon to walk down main street and _not _see at least three people you knew personally. If she saw Clark anywhere it was in the frozen food section of the grocery store where he stocked up on Hungry Man dinners when she was picking up the boys favorite flavor of Blue Bell Ice Cream. The temperature, chilly to start with, got noticeably more frigid when Chloe turned onto the aisle and stopped short.

This had been the first time Chloe had seen Clark since she'd slid the her letter under the gap of the door to his apartment. And it made her mad. She was tired of being held hostage by his moods and emotions. She'd made a mistake and she was genuinely sorry. But how could she atone for her sin when Clark wouldn't give her the slightest chance? Chloe would not deny Clark his anger. What she had done was one level up from unspeakable. She'd not only left Clark in the dark about paternity, but she also allowed him to believe Connor and Kaid were fathered by Oliver. Clark had every right to deny her of his forgiveness, but his sons? The sons who now worshiped the ground he walked on? How could he just turn and walk out on them? This infuriated Chloe.

Reapplying a small amount of eye makeup, Chloe grabbed her purse and briefcase and alighted from her vehicle. Today was the day she was making the announcement she would be re-locating to Baltimore where she planned on starting up the first Isis Foundation Satellite office that she would personally be over-seeing. She was going to offer Gladys the position of Deputy CEO, giving her control over Metropolis while Chloe would take over Baltimore. True, Baltimore was not a hot-bed of activity for the meteor infected, but the other branches of Isis might do some good. Chloe walked a few more paces, feeling an unease slip up her spine. She could feel someone eye's upon her. Lex Luthor had been in back in prison now, under maximum security and isolation with guards around the clock. Shaking the paranoia from her, Chloe continued on. She smiled at all the people in her lobby that was still under-going reconstruction.

"Hi, Bill," she said the construction worker who waited by the make-shift elevator. She stepped inside the red, metal cage and took a deep breath as Bill shut the gate and pulled the lever, the cage jerking to life. The first day back, Chloe had tried walking the thirteen flights of stairs to her office. She was a healthy young woman, but by the time she reached her office, she dripped with sweat under her winter coat and her feet were screaming inside her heels. Chloe breathed steadily the entire ride, never opening her eyes. When they jerked to a stop, Bill opened the gate and Chloe stepped out, sighing in relief once her feet were back on a solid level.

"See ya at lunch time, if not before," Bill said, tipping his yellow construction hat. Chloe smiled and turned into her reception area. Jillian's desk was still empty. Chloe would leave it up to Gladys if she wanted to find a replacement, although she would probably want to bring up the assistant she already had. Chloe walked over and laid a hand upon the vacant desktop sadly. Not for the first time, Chloe mourned for what she'd lost. She'd lost so much in such a short time. With tears threatening again, Chloe walked quickly into her office. She closed the doors and crossed to her desk. Shucking her coat, she glanced out her window to the building across the way. Snapping her head back up, Chloe swore she saw a blur leave the roof-top a few blocks away. Skipping over to the bank of windows, she pressed her nose against the glass, looking wildly around. A knock sounded on her door. Telling herself she hadn't seen anything, she walked back to her door. She opened the door, a smiling Gladys on the other side.

"Gladys, good morning," Chloe greeted as she opened the door.

"Good morning, _cara," _Gladys replied, reaching out and squeezing Chloe's hand.

Chloe and Gladys made comfortable small talk as Chloe gathered some forms and then asked Gladys to have a seat on the love seat. When Chloe had most of her words ready, she turned to Gladys. Gladys was ten years older than Chloe, with thick, velvety black hair caught up in soft bun at the back on her head, little wispys flying out around her face. She was a comfy looking woman, someone who would look more at home in a warm kitchen surrounded by family than a cold board room surrounded by investors. But that was what was so great about Gladys. She could put anyone immediately at ease.

"How are you doing? Really?" Gladys asked before Chloe started.

Chloe was caught off guard by the question. She had avoided most questions from everyone, including Martha. She looked into Gladys' warm, coffee colored eyes and felt her mouth turn downward. "That's why I asked you here, actually. I'm leaving Kansas. The boys and I are going to be moving to Baltimore right after Christmas."

"Chloe, why?" Gladys asked with concern. "How are you going to manage Isis?"

Chloe smiled. "That's where you come in. I plan on starting up a satellite station of Isis in Baltimore and I would like to put you in charge of Metropolis."

Gladys' eyes widened. "Chloe, I could never-"

"I thought the same thing," Chloe rushed, laying a hand on top of the other woman's. "When Lana named me as her succeeding CEO, I didn't think she could find anyone more under-qualified. But I didn't have to do it on my own. I had help. And so will you. Metropolis is a well-built ship. All you have to do is make sure it stays on course and avoid any icebergs."

Gladys and Chloe talked for a long time. A few hours later, Gladys accepted the promotion to Deputy CEO. She signed all the necessary forms and Bartley, her executive assistant, sent them to be notarized.

"How am I ever going to do this?" Gladys asked with a bright smile as she gazed around Chloe's office, which would soon become hers.

"You'll learn," Chloe answered with confidence. "Would you like to have lunch?"

"I'd love to. Let me get my purse and I'll meet you in the lobby."

Chloe and Gladys decided to celebrate. Choosing to go to Jubilee for lunch and cocktails, Chloe and Gladys began walking south, making their way further into downtown Metropolis. When they were a block from the restaurant, they spied a crowd gathered outside of the Daily Planet. Chloe sped up, planning on by-passing it quickly.

"Look! It's Santa!" Gladys said gaily, pulling Chloe to a stop. She followed the older woman's gaze to see a platform had been erected out in the section of the street that had been roped off. A line of kids were waiting, snaking down the foam covered steps and down the sidewalk beside the Planet. "Let's watch for a little bit."

Chloe allowed Gladys to pull her forward to the back of the crowd that had gathered to watch the proceedings. It was the Toys For Tots Rally, Chloe knew, from the banner and from the phone conversation she'd had with Lois a few nights ago. The platform was high enough, she could see above all the heads gathered and she smiled as she saw her cousin, complete in Elf regalia, marshaling kids up and down the steps to parents and placing cheerily wrapped presents in a big bin on one side of the stage. The crowd was small enough that Lois glanced Chloe and waved merrily.

"That's my cousin, Lois Lane," Chloe explained to Gladys as she waved back.

"That's right! I forgot she was your cousin," Gladys replied before whistling lowly. "Would you look at that Santa. Why didn't any of the Santa's I was forced to sit with look like that when I was younger?"

Chloe turned her eyes back to man on the platform. An upset little boy had grasped the hat and beard and pulled, revealing a handsome man with chiseled features and wavy black hair swirling in the winter wind. Chloe smiled affectionately as she watched Clark scramble to pull his disguise back on before any of the other children caught on and became upset. Her affection was quickly chased away by anger as she watched Clark pull another little boy onto his strong thigh and bounce him up and down. She could hear his baritone voice deepen, rolling out over the gathered throng, asking the child if he'd been a good boy and what he wanted for Christmas. Chloe could barely make out his response, but from what others were whispering, knew it involved a father in the Navy who was out on tour and wanting him to come home safely. Pulling away from the crowd, Chloe swiftly walked away, Gladys following a few paces behind her.

"Chloe, are you all right?" Gladys asked frantically.

"Yes, I just have to go to the bathroom. Let's hurry up and go or we'll never miss the lunch rush," Chloe said over her shoulder. Gladys and Chloe entered Jubilee. While the hostess showed Gladys to a table, Chloe made her way to the ladies' room. Once inside the individual bathroom, Chloe locked the door and turned to the bronze plated sink. The anger had soon turned to pain as she remembered the way Clark had smiled at the little boy on his lap before hiding behind the snowy white beard again. Chloe had imagined him smiling that way at Connor or Kaid. She wondered if he ever would. She wondered if he would ever smile at_her _again. She allowed the tears to fall for a few moments before taking hold of herself.

Gazing at herself in the mirror, she wondered how she would ever live without Clark Kent in her life. How could she function knowing he was here in Metropolis while she was in Baltimore? Never seeing him or talking to him, only knowing how he was through snippets of conversation with other people?

"You'll learn," Chloe whispered to herself. "You'll learn."

* * *

"Connor! Kaid!" Chloe called loudly from the back door of the kitchen. Her sons appeared like magic before her.

"Yes, mom?" They said in unison.

"Come in here, guys," Chloe said as she pulled the door open wider. "I want to talk to you."

Chloe walked her sons over to the bar and set them up with a plate of homemade brownies Martha had baked before she went out and two glasses of milk. Once they were seated, Chloe dragged another stool over to the other side and sat, facing her sons. This was not going to be an easy conversation.

"Boys, I want to talk to you about something," Chloe repeated herself.

They nodded and looked up at her, their jaws working on the chewy, fudge brownies.

"Things are going to be changing in a few weeks, guys," Chloe started.

Connor looked at her with raised brows. "What do you mean, Mom?" He asked around a mouthful of brownie.

"We're going to be moving to Baltimore, near Granddad," Chloe told them. She waited. Connor and Kaid swallowed. Again, in unison, they leaned back and looked at their mother.

"Why?" Connor, always the spokesman for the pair, question quietly.

"Well, my job. I'm going to be opening a new office in Baltimore," Chloe answered.

"How long will we be gone?" Connor asked.

"For a while," Chloe answered truthfully.

"Will we be coming back?" Kaid joined his brother.

"I don't know," Chloe told them.

Connor looked at his brother. "We don't want to move. All our friends are here! And Aunt Lo and Ollie and Uncle Bart and-"

"I know you don't want to leave Smallville, guys, but-"

"We don't have to go!" Kaid shouted. "You're the boss! Send someone else!"

Chloe reached across the counter and took their hands. "I could send someone else, guys, but I've decided that it's best if we go. It will be a good thing, I promise. We'll be really close to Granddad and Aunt Martha is only a few hours away in Washington. You'll make new friends in Baltimore and-"

Connor and Kaid pulled their hands from their mother's and hopped off the stools. "We won't go! You can't make us!" Connor shouted before he took off, Kaid following, leaving the back door banging against the wall in the wind the boys created.

Chloe watched her sons blur away. Grimly, Chloe rested her face in her hands. All the Kent men were mad at her, it seemed.

* * *

The days leading up to Christmas Eve were not happy ones. Both boys were sullen and rude, hardly speaking to Chloe or anyone else. They spent hours in the barn and the loft, neglecting their chores. They disappeared one afternoon on their horses and didn't come back until very late one night. They slammed their bedroom door, ignoring Chloe as she reprimanded them. All this added more stress onto Chloe as she readied her office for the move and packed up what little things that had been saved from the Farm House. Every one tried to talk her out of it. The League, Martha, a few of the mothers she'd made friends with. It all fell on deaf ears. Clark had made his decision and Chloe had made hers. The line in the sand had been drawn and both of them refused to cross it.

When Christmas Eve finally rolled around, it seemed the cheerful holiday served to break the moodiness that had befallen the twins. They helped Chloe decorate the last Christmas Tree they would have in Smallville. They ferried things back and forth to Martha as she and Chloe cooked in the kitchen. They played merry little hosts to all their family as they arrived, taking coats and scarves from them and shoving them in the hall closet.  
Lois was the last to arrive.

"Where's Ollie?" Chloe asked as she hugged and kissed her cousin, rubbing her upper arms to rid her of the chill.

"Pulling some last minute street duty," Lois told Chloe. "He'll be here later."

Everyone waited for Oliver to arrive and then sat down to dinner. Clark's absence was very noticeable, especially when the boys asked questions about him. They'd seen the articles Lois had written about Superman and they'd seen the articles Clark had written about other things. He was still on the periphery of their lives but not a part of it, his distance palpable.

They gathered in the family room after dinner, exchanging gifts and sipping hot chocolate from Christmas mugs. When 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' started, everyone quieted. Chloe, Martha and Dinah gathered up the dishes and began cleaning up the kitchen. The doorbell chimed throughout the house. Chloe picked up a dish towel to wipe down the counters.

"I'll get it!" Chloe called.

Gripping the dish towel in her hand and taking a step into the family room, she heard the door open and Lois ask in a chilly tone, "Can I help you?"

* * *

Chloe walked toward the door, wondering who Lois was speaking to. The twins craned their necks to see who had arrived, but the adults obscured the view.

"Lois, I told you I would get-" Chloe rounded the corner and stopped. "Clark." She couldn't stop the awe-coated syllable that was his name as she saw him standing in the doorway, a small red wrapped box in his hand.

"Clark!" Connor and Kaid screamed. They jumped and ran from their spot in front of the fire, splitting around their astonished mother and barreled past Lois, catching Clark around the knees as they'd done with Oliver the first night Clark had met them.

"Hey, guys!" Clark greeted brightly. Chloe bit her lip and wringed the dish towel in her hands as she watched Clark kneel down and hug each of them individually.

"Where have you been?" Connor asked eagerly.

"We read all your articles!" Kaid chirped.

Clark smiled. He lifted his eyes to Chloe who stood stock-still in the hallway, a white knuckle grip on the frayed dish towel. "Can I come in?" He asked.

"Of course," Chloe murmured. "Of course you can come in."

Clark stood, watching Lois warily.

"Lois," Chloe and Oliver both snapped.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Come in, I guess." She stood aside and let Clark enter. He shut the door behind him. Lois stomped back into the family room as all eyes were on Clark. The boys walked ahead of him, talking a mile a minute. Clark nodded along, but Chloe could tell he wasn't really listening. His eyes found Davis, leaning against a wall behind Lana. She watched his eyes glow for a moment and his jaw tighten. 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' played in the background, but no one was listening or watching. Shelby came over and nudged Clark's hand. Clark scratched the dog behind his ears.

"Merry Christmas everyone," Clark said to the group as a whole.

"Merry Christmas," they echoed, still watching him closely.

He smiled and then looked to Davis again. "Davis, can I talk you in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Davis agreed haltingly. He looked to Chloe. Clark followed his gaze, staring at Chloe over his shoulder. Chloe looked from Clark to Davis and nodded.

Everyone watched the two men walk into the kitchen.

"You know," Oliver began. "Smallville lights the Christmas Tree at the center of town every year on Christmas Eve. Why don't we go watch it?"

"Oliver, that doesn't start for another hour," Lois pointed out.

Oliver looked at her. "Exactly. And if we want to get good seats-"

"Right, right!" Dinah exclaimed, picking up on Oliver's line of thought. "Come on, guys."

"Oh, yes!" Bart said.

"Definitely need a good seat for that!" Victor agreed.

"Wouldn't want to miss it!" AC laughed. Everyone gathered their coats as Chloe, Martha, Davis and Clark looked on. Smiling at Chloe, they marched outside.

"Boys, you don't want to miss the lighting of the Christmas Tree, do you?" Lois asked excitedly. The boys opened their mouths. "Didn't think so. Come on, let's go." She shoved their arms into their coats and pulled them along behind her, Shelby trotting along. "Oh, all right!" She groaned as Shelby followed the boys out of the house. She scampered back in and hugged Chloe, kissing her cheek. At the door she turned again. Pressing her mouth in a thin line, she nodded. Chloe looked back at Clark, who returned the gesture. Then she was gone.

"I'll wait for you out in the car," Lana told Davis before squeezing his hand. She slid into her trench coat and smiled at Chloe as she, too, walked out into the cold night air.

"I guess I'll join the others," Martha said. She went into the kitchen and hugged Clark. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart," she whispered in his ear.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," he replied.

She left the kitchen. She stopped and hugged Chloe, as well. She whispered before she let go, "Love is _always _enough." Martha pulled back with a smile. "I'll see you two later."

And then it was just the three of them.

* * *

Clark and Davis stood in the kitchen, gaging the other. Chloe closed the front door. Taking her time, she meandered back to the kitchen. She didn't know if Clark wanted to be alone with Davis nor did she want to leave Davis alone with Clark. This had to mean something, Clark coming to the house tonight. Once she stepped foot in the kitchen, Clark turned his attention to Davis.

"I have something for you, Davis," Clark said. He handed him the small gift box.

"What is it?" Davis asked.

"Open it and find out," Clark replied. Chloe stepped closer, making the third point of a triangle.

Davis tore the wrapping from the box and set in on the counter. A white box was unveiled. The top of the box joined the wrapping and Davis withdrew a leather black ring box. He gave Clark a questioning look. Clark looked back at him, his expression giving away nothing. Davis lifted the hinged top. Chloe waited impatiently to see what was in the box. He reached in and took out the gift. Chloe gasped as she saw the jeweled blue ring winking in his palm.

"Clark, how did you-"

"Jor-El," Clark said simply.

"But I thought it was destroyed," Chloe countered, motioning to the ring laying in Davis' palm.

"So did I," Clark responded, watching Chloe closely.

"What is it?" Davis asked.

"It's Blue Kryptonite," Chloe answered.

"Like my bracelet?" Davis asked.

"Yes," Clark began. "Only with this, you can't remove it. Once you put this on, you'll never be able to take it off."

"I'd be free?" Davis asked with raised eyebrows. "I would never have to worry again about the beast being unleashed again?"

Clark nodded. "You'll have no powers either. You'll be-"

"Mortal," Davis whispered. He closed his fingers, making a fist. He lowered his head. Clark and Chloe saw a tear fall to the floor.

Chloe reached out and laid a hand on Davis' shuddering shoulder. "We'll leave you alone to think about it. It's a big decision."

"No," Davis said, shaking his head. He raised his tear-filled eyes to both of them. "No, it's not. It's the easiest decision I've ever had to make in my life."

Davis quickly unclasped the bracelet and handed it Chloe. The dish towel fluttered to the floor as she clutched the bracelet in her hand and held it against her chest. With a smile, Davis slid the ring onto his right ring finger. A blue light began to glow. Clark instinctively grabbed Chloe and pulled her to him, turning her away while keeping an eye on Davis. Chloe watched with amazed eyes as Davis glowed a brilliant blue for a moment. A halo began to form above his head as he began to dim, the halo seeming to suck some kind of energy from Davis. A few seconds later, the halo glowed brighter than Davis had and seemed to swell above their heads, a high pitch hum emanating from it. Clark pulled Chloe in tighter, shielding her with as much of his body as he could. The halo continued to grow and grow, filling the entire room. The humming got louder and Chloe could feel it vibrating deep within her. When it seemed the halo would burst through the walls and the humming would reach an incredible decibel, it fell suddenly in on itself.

Chloe clung to Clark, her heart beating fast as she looked at the ceiling. Clark loosened his hold on her and looked around himself. They both looked to Davis. He stood, staring at his hand. He looked at them and tried to pull the ring off. It didn't budge. He smiled jubilantly at them. Clark let go of Chloe and took Davis' hand in his own and pulled with a fraction his strength. It didn't move.

"Does it fit?" Chloe asked.

Davis nodded. "It feels like it was made for my hand."

Lana came bursting through the door. "Is everything okay? I saw this light and then this noise-"

Davis gave a happy shout and bounded over to Lana, picking her up and twirling her around. Slipping an arm around her shoulders, Davis turned back to Clark. "Thank you, Clark. For everything. I can't tell you what this means to me."

"Merry Christmas, Davis," Clark told him. The two men met halfway and shook hands. They grasped hands in a brother-like clasp. "Now, if you wouldn't mind," Clark trailed off, kicking his head back to Chloe.

"Not at all, Clark," Lana said, her eyes holding questions as to what had just happened in the kitchen. "We'll see you two in town?"

"Yeah," Clark nodded in a non-committal way.

Davis squeezed Clark's hand again before he took Lana's hand and they walked out the door together. Clark turned back to the kitchen. It was empty. Clark listened closely. She was in her bedroom. Clark made his way up the stairs. It was dead quiet in the house and he felt the blanket of deja vu covering him. He'd been here before. Eight years ago. Only this time, he wasn't leaving. And neither was she.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The door at the end of the hall was slightly ajar. Clark walked softly up to it and pushed it open. He looked around the room. Boxes were set around the room, mostly filled with clothes or shoes and some with files, probably from her office. Chloe was kneeling by the bed, her back to Clark. Clark squinted his eyes and without using his x-ray vision, could see Chloe unwrapping a pretty crystal cut box. She took off the lid carefully and set the bracelet within before closing it and wrapping the box up again and placed it down in the bottom of a box marked 'FRAGILE'. She stood to her feet and turned, jumping slightly at finding Clark standing in the doorway.

She was dressed in stone-washed jeans and a candy-cane striped sweater that sat right on her hips. Her feet were only clad in socks with little snowmen on them wearing top hats. Her hair was pulled back in green barrette with a small Christmas bow on the end upon her ear. She looked every inch the mom she was but she also looked like the wide-eyed girl he'd once told all his secrets to. Tucking a non-existent hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture, Chloe looked at him with guarded eyes before she crossed her arms in a defensive stance. Clark stood in the doorway, waiting to be invited in. When Chloe didn't say anything, Clark walked in and shut the door behind him.

Chloe swallowed. This was the first time they'd been alone for months. Clark examined his boots as he leaned against the closed door. She waited patiently for him to speak. He cleared his throat and raised his head, a black curl falling between his two eyes.

"You're moving."

Chloe took a shuttered breath. "We're moving."

"To Baltimore," Clark said

"To Baltimore," Chloe confirmed.

"I can't let you do that, Chlo," he said softly.

"Why?" Chloe asked, searching his own shielded eyes, praying he'd tell her what she'd longed to hear for years.

"I won't let you take those boys away from me," Clark answered. Chloe's shoulders fell slightly before she picked them up and smiled tightly at him.

"You can come and see them any time you want. They would love that. And I can send them down here to you. Or I could keep one and you keep the other like The Parent Trap," Chloe joked with mock cheeriness. "We'll make it work."

Clark pushed away from the door. He closed the distance between them with a couple of steps. Looking down at her, he asked," Why didn't you tell me, Chloe?"

The anger in his words belied his loose frame. Chloe swallowed again and turned around and began folding the heap of laundry on her bed to disguise the shaking of her hands. She could also avoid his eyes at the same time, though Clark didn't make it that easy. He sat down on her bed, close to the laundry and watched her.

"I was going to Clark, I really was. But then time began to pass and you never-"

"Why didn't tell me when I came back, Chloe? I don't care about when I was gone. Why didn't you tell me that night in the barn? Why did you ever let me believe that Connor and Kaid were Oliver's?" Clark's voice was tight and Chloe could tell he was controlling his volume, trying hard not to yell at her. Part of her wished he would. She deserved it. She was also mad herself, but she found with him sitting in the house a few inches from her, it was hard to stay angry at him for how he'd cut her and their children off.

Chloe chanced a look to her left and found his eyes were still trained on her. She looked back to what her hands were doing. "I didn't know if you could handle it," she admitted in a hush.

Clark felt stunned. Deep inside, he knew that wasn't the _real _reason, but he'd go with right now. "So you made the decision for _me, _for _us, _because _you _thought I couldn't handle it? You didn't think to even give _me _a chance?"

Chloe opened her mouth and shut it. She tried again. "You've always had so much responsibility, felt like it was your responsibility to save the world. I didn't want to add to it."

"That's a lie."

Chloe jerked her head up to look at Clark. His face was no longer passive, but furious. He stood and gripped her hands, stilling them from their task. "Why are you still lying to me, Chloe?" He thundered.

"I'm not _lying _to you, Clark!" Chloe answered, her voice raising as she yanked her wrists from his hands. "You always blame yourself, think things are your fault! I didn't want you to look at Connor and Kaid as two little mistakes that came from the one night you let yourself go! I didn't want you to think you had to take responsibility for them!"

"But they are my responsibility! They're my children! Why wouldn't I want to care for my own sons? Why did you lie to me?"

"Because I didn't want to be a burden!" Chloe shouted, tears falling from her eyes as she collapsed onto the bed.

Clark looked down at her, waiting for her to continue.

Chloe pressed a hand to her mouth, while the other lay clenched against her thigh. She wiped her eyes and then her nose before laying that hand on the bed. After a few tense minutes, Clark knelt in front of her, taking her hands in one of his. Fresh tears started at his tender gesture. With his other hand, he cupped Chloe's cheek and lifted her face a little so she could look at him. Clark fought his own tears, his heart twisting at the thought of Chloe telling herself she and their sons would have ever been a burden to him.

"I was scared, Clark," Chloe finally continued, her hazel eyes glistening in the light. "I was scared that you wouldn't want them. I was scared that you wouldn't accept them. And then I didn't know how to tell you. I tried, Clark. I tried to so many times. I wanted you to know. I wanted you to know you were a father, that you were no longer alone. I never meant to lie to you or to your mother or to the boys. I was planning on telling you and then all the stuff with Lex happened and time just started slipping away from me. I am so sorry, Clark. You have to believe me. I am sorry for all the lies I've told everyone. I am sorry for making you think you couldn't trust me. I am sorry for ever questioning your ability to handle the pressure. It's just that-" Chloe broke off and took a deep breath, her voice becoming more hoarse and clogged as she talked through her tears. She looked down at their clasped hands and then back at him. "You belong to the world, not just some single mother and her two kids."

Clark gazed at Chloe, her face red and blotchy from her tears. Her bottom lip quivered as she looked right back at him, her stare never wavering. Pulling her to her feet, Clark caressed her face with both hands before dipping his head and kissing her softly. Chloe let out a sob before wrapping her arms around Clark's waist as he gathered her closer. Clark lifted his head and let Chloe lay against him, holding her a she continued to cry into his sweater. Tucking his chin against her hair, Clark spoke quietly above him.

"I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry I never gave you a chance to explain. I'm sorry that I've stayed away for so long. I'm sorry that I left you that way after I promised you I would never leave you again. But I will promise you this, Chloe. I will never leave again, ever. And you'll never be a burden. _Never." _Clark pulled back and forced Chloe to look up at him. "Superman may belong to the world, but Clark Kent, he belongs to his family."

Chloe smiled gratefully before stretching up on her tip toes and kissing him chastely. Clark furrowed his eyebrows. "You wanna go watch the tree lighting?"

"Sure," Clark said tentatively. Chloe took his hand and they descended the stairs together. Something wasn't right, though. Clark was wondering what it was until Chloe spoke again as she was getting her coat out of the closet.

"I'm sure going to miss this kind of small town holiday hoo-rah when we move," Chloe stated as she pulled on her coat.

_Bingo, _Clark thought. Chloe was still planning on moving. Clark grabbed Chloe's arm, swinging her back to face him before she got to the door. "You're still going to Baltimore?"

Chloe looked at Clark, a little perplexed. "Yes, Clark. I'm still leaving Smallville. Why wouldn't I?"

Clark stared down at her. "You really don't know the answer to that?"

Chloe shook his hold on her arm and stepped away from him. "I can't just stay here because you want me to, Clark. I have plans. I'm starting up another branch of Isis in Baltimore. I've bought a house. We'll work something out to where you have Connor and Kaid some of the time and I'll have them some of the time. People do it all the time. So can Superman."

Clark shook his head. "No, that's not what I want, Chloe. I want you and me to raise Connor and Kaid _together. _In this house. I want to come home at night to my wife and my kids and-"

"Clark," Chloe said interrupted, rolling her eyes. "We still can raise the boys together. We don't have to be married-"

"Oh, yes, we do have to be married."

"Come on, Clark! It's the 21st Century! Just because we're parents doesn't mean we have to get married!" Chloe replied.

"Yes, it does! There is a Mother and a Father and they live in the same house and preferably, they're married!" Clark told her sarcastically.

"I know how parenthood works, Clark," Chloe spat. "You know what, we can talk about the finer points later. I don't want to miss-"

"We'll talk about it now," Clark boomed, stopping the door with his hand as Chloe tried to open it. "Why don't you want to get married?"

"I just don't believe that having kids is the main reason for two people to get married," Chloe answered.

"That's not why I want to-" Clark stopped. "Oh, you think I only want to marry you because of Connor and Kaid?"

Chloe shifted from one foot to the other. She looked off to the right side of Clark's head. "Well, why else would you?"

Clark shook his head and smiled. In some ways, he and Chloe had come so far. They were adults and parents and heroes. They had careers and deadlines and bills. In other ways, they were still those same blind teenagers they used to be.

"That was the real reason you didn't tell me about the boys," Clark said to himself more than Chloe. "It wasn't about responsibility or duty or burdens. It was because you thought that was the only reason I would want to be with you."

His hand left the door and found Chloe's again. Clark pulled her closer. She looked up at him, still only reaching past his shoulders in her farm boots.

"I don't want to marry you because you're the mother of my children. I don't want to marry you because it's the right thing to do. I want to marry you because I love you, Chloe. I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Clark told her.

Chloe opened her mouth but Clark stopped her.

"Don't," Clark said, putting a finger to her lips. "Don't say it's only of because Connor and Kaid. It's not. I love you. I've loved you for the past eight years, probably longer. I just didn't know it. I loved you before I left for training and it _wasn't _because we spent the night together. I was going to tell you when I came back, but all this craziness happened. The question is, do you still feel that way about me?"

Chloe swallowed again. She loved him. She'd never stopped loving him. But she was scared again. She could have all she'd ever wanted if she just reached out and took it. But could she trust it? "What do you mean still feel that way about you?"

"Before I left, you told me you loved me. Do you still love me?"

She had actually said it. "I thought that was a dream," Chloe whispered. "When I woke up alone. . ."

Clark tightened his hold on her. Clark and Chloe looked at each other, their eyes glowing as they stood on the edge of tomorrow. "I'll never forgive myself for leaving you like that. If I hadn't, maybe things would have been different. I told you I loved you, too. I didn't know how much until I spent that first night away from you. And I'll love you for the rest of your life and the rest of mine. So I need to know," Clark paused, trembling himself. He was opening himself up to a world of pain, giving her all the power once more. But Clark trusted Chloe with his heart. He always had. "Do you still love me?"

Chloe braced her hands on Clark's broad shoulders. "Clark Kent, I've loved you since I first laid my eyes on your ragged blue flannel shirt. And I'll love you until I take my last breath." Chloe pulled herself up and pressed her mouth to Clark's.

Clark caught her, lifting her the rest of the way, her feet dangling above the polished wood floor. He kissed frantically, almost afraid she would slip out of his grasp. Carefully, he carried her back upstairs. Nudging the door wider with his shoulder, Clark walked in and then kicked the door shut. Without breaking contact, Clark tumbled them onto the bed. Shuffling up, Chloe laid her head against the pillow, her hands snaking up and around Clark's back. He allowed her to pull the sweater and t-shirt over his head and threw it to the ground. Her own sweater followed, along with their jeans and everything else. Pulling reluctantly away from Chloe's bare skin, Clark rummaged around in the box by the bed and finally brushed the glass box. Clumsily, he opened it and put the bracelet on. Once it was cinched around his wrist, Clark turned back to Chloe, taking her hands in his and lowering his head to brush heated kisses along her exposed collarbone.

"That's why you gave Davis the ring," Chloe observed slyly.

"Yep," Clark said curtly.

"And here I thought you were being selfless," Chloe teased.

"Partly," Clark muttered, moving lower.

"Clark, wait," Chloe breathed harshly.

Clark lifted his head, glaring at her. "What is it, Chloe?" He asked as his chest heaved.

Chloe blushed. "I want you to know, Oliver and I-"

"Chloe, I really don't need to know," Clark growled as he rose up and looked down at her. Just the thought of Oliver getting this close to Chloe made him simmer with possessive anger. Clark grasped her hips in his large hands and squeezed. "You're mine now and no one will ever touch you again."

Chloe giggled, which caused Clark's brows to lower dangerously. She met his eyes and lifted a hand to tangle in his curls. "Oliver was the only one. He and I were only together a few times, too. And it was a month or two before you came back. It was never the way it was with you." Tears filled her eyes and Clark brought up a hand to wipe her tears away. "I tried to move on, but I couldn't stop thinking of you the whole time."

Clark wrapped his arms around Chloe as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "That's okay," Clark crooned. He knew how much that admission had cost her. Chloe was loyal, it must have hurt her so much to tell him that. Clark pulled back and kissed her gently. "I don't want you to move on," Clark told her with a leer.

They made love desperately, as if only this could finally separate them from their past mistakes, shutting the door on the past and making their way into a future together.

With a sigh, Clark rolled over to his side, pulling Chloe with him. The house was silent as they lay together, looking into each other's eyes.

"We need to get going, everyone is waiting on us," Chloe finally said, but making no attempt at disentangling herself from Clark.

"We've probably already missed the Tree Lighting," Clark speculated, not wanting to move either.

"Then they're all on their way home. Connor and Kaid, as well," Chloe replied, nuzzling closer to Clark.

"They probably shouldn't find us like this," Clark murmured into Chloe's hair, wanting so badly to fall asleep.

"Not until they understand who you are," Chloe said, her breaths becoming steady.

"When are we going to tell them?" Clark asked.

"Tomorrow. We'll tell them everything tomorrow," Chloe answered. Both lapsed into silence again and it wasn't until a door slammed that Clark and Chloe jerked upright after having fallen asleep.

_"Chloe!" _

"It's Lois! Clark, hurry!" Chloe whispered frantically. They both jumped up and began pulling on clothes. Chloe tugged on her jeans as Clark fought with his two shirts. "Just put the green one on!"

"Chloe?" Lois said right outside the door. "Clark?" She growled. "Are you two in there?"

"These are yours!" Clark hissed, throwing Chloe's jeans at her. Clark grimaced and said, "Yes, Lois. What do you want?"

"They are?" Chloe asked, catching the jeans as the ones she'd thought she'd fasten fell to her ankles. "Whoops!"

"I almost broke my neck trying to get back out here before Martha and the boys did. I'm supposed to give her the all clear when you're ready for your _children," _Lois snarled. "Are you two ready yet? I'm getting really grossed out here!"

Clark yanked open the door just as Chloe pulled her sweater over her head. "Ever hear of something called a phone?" Clark asked pointedly.

"Ever hear of something called a zipper?" Lois smiled, pointing below Clark's waist.

* * *

The gang arrived five minutes after Lois, all of them clamoring in through the front door. Sly glances and small smiles were thrown in Clark and Chloe's direction for the rest of the night. The change that had taken place between the two of them infused the night with an elevated level of cheer. Connor and Kaid bounced around the living room while Shelby chased them, the adults laughing at their antics. Close to midnight, Martha rose from her seat and returned a few minutes later. The room quieted upon her return. She had a square book held against her stomach.

Clark and Chloe sat on the couch, Connor and Kaid on the floor between their legs and Shelby at Clark's feet. Oliver sat in a wingback chair in the corner with Lois curled on the floor by his knees. AC and Dinah were in kitchen chairs, their interlinked hands hanging down between them with Bart and Victor cross-legged on the floor against the wall. Lana and Davis had pulled chairs in from the living room and were sitting at the table in front of the window. Everyones' attention was on Martha as she stood in the middle of them all.

"I brought this tonight hoping. . ." Martha trailed off. She held out the book to Clark who took it almost reverently. He held it in his hands, his eyes drinking in the sight of the antique looking book. Chloe leaned over. It was a copy of 'The Night Before Christmas'.

"Dad used to read this every Christmas Eve, just before midnight," Clark whispered, running a hand lovingly over the ragged looking cover.

Chloe felt tears sting the back of her eyes. She remembered the Christmas Eve parties when she was a teenager. Jonathon Kent would slide his reading glasses on his nose and stand by the fireplace, reading the familiar words in his strong, firm, comforting voice. The room was silent except for his voice, wrapping around everyone and making them all feel close like family. He would shut the book when he was finished and make eye contact with each person in the room, smiling at them with his merry blue eyes.

"Why don't you read it?" Martha suggested.

Clark looked around the room. The people who had known Jonathon Kent looked back at Clark with tear-filled eyes while all the others who'd only known the man through Clark's memory, nodded toward him. Clark felt Connor lay his chin on his knee cap, looking up at him. The memory of Clark doing the same thing to Jonathon as a young boy, caused a lump to form in Clark's throat. Clark looked over to Chloe, who smiled as tears of her own threatened to spill. She moved closer, wrapping her arms around one of his. Kaid crawled up onto Chloe's lap, laying his head just under her chin.

Tussling Connor's hair, Clark cleared his throat. Martha stood behind them, looking over Clark's shoulder. He opened the book and began to read.

_"Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. . ."_

* * *

Connor and Kaid fell asleep soon after Clark closed the book. Clark and Chloe stood, lifting Connor and Kaid into their arms and tiptoed quietly upstairs. Chloe directed Connor into the bottom bunk. Clark shook his head while Chloe tried to lift Kaid up to the top bunk. He laid Connor gently down before taking Kaid and placing him in the bunk before tucking the covers over the little boy's shoulder. Clark smoothed the blonde hair away from the his temple as he nuzzled more into his pillow. He fingered a lock of hair. Hesitantly, Clark leaned over and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead. When he stood, he felt Chloe's arm snake around his waist.

As a couple, they turned and exited the room. They went back downstairs to people gathered there. Soon after, they too, began to leave. Clark gave Davis the key to the Talon apartment.

"In case you want to sleep on a bed instead of a couch tonight," Clark said with a grin.  
Davis, catching Clark's unspoken meaning, nodded and smiled. "Sure thing, Clark." He took the keys and clapped Clark on the arm.

"I'll take you. Merry Christmas, you two," Lana said, hugging Clark and Chloe before she and Davis left.

"What time do you want us to come over tomorrow?" Lois asked Chloe as the two of them stood in the kitchen. Oliver was in the family room with Clark and Martha had run up to look in on Connor and Kaid.

"Probably around one. We're going to tell the boys tomorrow morning," Chloe answered.

"Are you sure you want us to come over? Maybe tomorrow should just be the four of you. You know, a family thing," Lois suggested.

"Lois, you _are _family. Martha's going to be here and it wouldn't be Christmas without you and Ollie," Chloe replied.

"Actually, Martha is coming with us," Lois said.

"Why?" Chloe questioned.

Lois grinned. "Come on, cuz? Why do you think?" Lois watched as Chloe's face began to redden. "Oh, don't look so scandalized! You think Martha believes the _stork _dropped those little boys on your doorstep? I'm also pretty sure she knew you and Clark were having a celebration of your own tonight."

"Thanks, Lois," Chloe said dryly.

Clark and Oliver walked into the kitchen where Martha joined them.

"Why don't we take off?" Oliver said to Martha and Lois.

"Mom, you're not staying here?" Clark asked.

Chloe blushed even more profusely when Martha smiled and hugged her son. "I'll see you two tomorrow." She hugged Chloe. "Goodnight you two."

Oliver shook Clark's hand and then hugged Chloe. Lois followed suit, awkwardly hugging Clark and then enveloping her cousin before she and Ollie walked out into the night. Clark and Chloe followed them out on the porch, waving at the trio as they got into Lois' expensive sports car, Oliver at the helm. The car peeled in the gravel as it disappeared down the drive.

"Okay," Chloe breathed, rubbing her hands together as she turned back to Clark. "Time to get to work."

Clark followed Chloe inside. He watched her as she went to the closet under the stairs and opened the door, switching on the light.

"Chlo, what are you doing?"

"What I do every year, Clark!" She said in a stage whisper, peeking her head out with a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to speak quietly.

"And what would that be?" Clark asked in a whisper, walking over to the closet.

Chloe came out, her arms laden with wrapped presents. "Playing Santa," Chloe answered with a bright smile. She sidled over to Clark and looked up at him. "Wanna help?"

"Yeah, only this year, there's going to be a change in the program," Clark said, taking a few gifts from Chloe.

"And what would that be?"

"_I'll _be playing the part of Santa and _you," _Clark paused. In an uncharacteristically demonstrative motion, Clark leaned down and rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. "Can be my elf."

"You better not be making a crack about my size," Chloe growled in mock annoyance.

Clark grinned, kissing Chloe quickly before he walked over and began arranging the gifts under the branches of the pine tree.

After placing all the gifts from 'Santa' around the tree skirt, Clark and Chloe sat on the couch as Chloe took Clark through everything that happened from the day he left to the day he came back into her life. They talked in hushed tones, their hands in each others laps, heads close together.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Clark whispered, brushing the hair away from Chloe's face as he laid his forehead against hers. "If I had known-"

"There would have been nothing that could have kept you. I know," Chloe cut him off.

"What did you name them?" Clark asked, just as Chloe began dozing off.

"Connor Joseph and Jonathon Kincaid," she answered, her eye lids trying to close.

Clark pulled Chloe closer, allowing her head to fall onto his shoulder. "Thank you. Dad would have loved that. I wish he were here to see them."

"I do, too," Chloe yawned.

"I don't have any presents for them," Clark sighed as he closed his eyes.

"Yes, you do," Chloe replied, burrowing deeper into Clark's arms. "You're their Christmas present."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Clark and Chloe jerked awake at the sound of thundering footsteps coming down the stairs. Chloe peered around, wondering for a moment why she was still in the family room and not in her warm, comfy bed. Scratching her head, she turned, her eyes meeting Clark's as he, too, seemed a little dazed as to where he was.

His face settled into a content grin. "Good morning," he husked as he leaned toward her. The sharp cry of "MOM!" followed by Connor launching himself at Chloe made Clark pull back abruptly. Chloe caught Connor and hugged him tightly, kissing the side of his head. Kaid plopped down on the sofa between Clark and Chloe, leaning against Clark's side familiarly.

"Merry Christmas!" They both cried with bright smiles.

"Merry Christmas, guys!" Chloe returned, reaching over and ruffling Kaid's hair.

"It snowed last night. Did you see?" Kaid asked, looking first at Clark and then Chloe.

Clark looked at Chloe and shook his head. "No, we didn't, bud. How much is there?"

"A whole lot! Come see!" Connor bounded from Chloe's lap and grabbed Clark's hand, pulling him from the sofa and dragging him to the door. Kaid and Chloe followed. Clark opened the door and squinted against the clean brightness of the landscape. Connor squeezed between his legs to stand in front and Kaid joined him as Clark wrapped one arm around Chloe's waist. The four stood silently as they looked outside, everything covered in inches and inches of white. A sharp yip! was heard behind them and Chloe lifted a leg as Shelby shot out, barking and jumping in the snow. Connor and Kaid went to follow but were stopped by two strong hands, one belonging to each parent.

"Not without shoes," Chloe ordered.

"Come on, Mom, it won't hurt us," Kaid pleaded.

"Nope. Sorry. Not taking any chances," Chloe replied. They all returned to looking outside, the little boys wiggling with excitement at all the snow.

Clark pulled Chloe closer, settling his chin on the top of her head.

"A White Christmas," Chloe breathed with her head nestled against Clark's chest. "It's going to be a perfect day. Merry Christmas, Clark."

Clark kissed Chloe's head. "Merry Christmas." He squeezed Chloe one more time before stepping back and clapping his hands together. "Guys, don't you want to see what Santa brought you?"

"Yeah!" The twins took off, blurring from the door to the living room.

"No powers in the house," Chloe reprimanded absently, as if she said it almost every day.

"Sorry," they both replied, though not bothering to look sheepish as they dug through the mounds of presents on the floor, trading for each other's names.

"Mom, where's Aunt Lo and Ollie?" Connor asked, ripping the wrapping away on one present.

"Aunt Lo, Ollie and Aunt Martha are coming over later," Chloe answered, taking the paper Clark handed her from the floor and stuffing it into the black trash bag she'd gotten from the kitchen.

"Do you think they'll be able to make it with the snow?" Clark asked over the excited shout of Kaid at the sight of a new video game.

"On these country roads, I don't know," Chloe answered, a little sad at the prospect of not seeing the family on Christmas day.

"Clark can go and get them," Kaid suggested. "Can't you, Clark?"

"Of course I can, bud," Clark answered immediately. "Don't know why I didn't think of it before."

Chloe and Clark exchanged glances before she got up and made a pot of coffee. She returned to the couch, settling back as she watched Clark sitting between Connor and Kaid as they opened their presents. She ran upstairs and got her camera, taking candid shots every other minute as the boys jabbered about their gifts and showed Clark everything. Connor and Kaid, for the most part, ignored their mother, which was just fine with her. At ten o'clock, all the gifts had been opened and inspected, the wrappings and bows thrown away and Connor and Kaid dressed in their winter gear, ready and waiting to go outside. Chloe opened the kitchen door and released them, Shelby following at a sharp pace to keep up. She turned back to Clark, who was getting out things for a pancake breakfast.

"How are you feeling?" Chloe asked, busying herself with the job of cracking the eggs into a glass bowl.

"A little nervous," Clark answer truthfully, measuring out the rest of the ingredients before pouring them into the bowl with the eggs.

"You have no reason to be nervous," Chloe told him, laying a hand on his strong back as he whisked the mixture together. She turned and set the griddle over the burner on the stove, turning the knob to get the fire going. "They couldn't stop talking about you since they found out you were Superman."

"But that's Superman, Chloe. I'm Clark, their dad." Chloe didn't miss his tone, half nervous and half amazed. "I'm just a normal guy with a job-"

"And just like them in every way," Chloe pointed out as she sliced of a slab of butter and dropped it onto the griddle with a sizzle. Clark spooned out the first pancake, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Chloe grabbed a spatula and stood next to him, flipping the pancakes when they were ready. "Yes, they think it is so cool that you are Superman, but more importantly, you're Dad. They would take Dad over Superman any day."

"How do you know that?" Clark asked, retrieving a big platter from a cupboard, holding it while Chloe slid the pancakes onto it. After transferring all the pancakes, Chloe laid the spatula aside and took the plate from Clark. She set it in the middle of the table and turned back to Clark. He stood by the beam, his clothes a little rumpled from a night on the couch, his hair mussed and shaggy.

She crossed to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, craning back to look into his eyes. "I know because they're part me. And I would take plain ole Clark Kent, Superman or not, any day of the week."

"I love you, Chloe," Clark whispered.

"I've waited years to hear you say that," Chloe replied, laying her head on Clark's chest.

Clark tightened his hold on her. "I've been waiting years to say it."

Chloe looked up and stretched up on her toes. They shared a tender kiss before pulling apart and smiling at one another.

"Let's finish breakfast before we get side-tracked," Chloe suggested with a wink.

"Good idea," Clark replied.

Working together, they quickly whipped up some sausage links to go with the pancakes and some hashbrowns. As Chloe laid everything on the table, Clark opened the door. He turned to Chloe. "When are we going to tell them?"

"I've found the best way to tell them things is the same way I tell Lois things. When her mouth is full," Chloe answered.

"Why didn't I ever think of that?" Clark muttered as he turned back to the door. He bellowed for Connor and Kaid. "BREAKFAST!" He shouted. Connor and Kaid blurred to the kitchen door, stomping their boots to rid them of snow. Shelby trotted over and shook his own feet before padding in, curling up on a pillow over by the laundry room. Clark helped the boys out of their stuff and soon, they were seated at the table in their stocking feet watching Chloe pour orange juice for Clark and Connor and milk for Kaid while getting another cup of coffee for herself. Clark put two pancakes on both their plates with butter and then doused them in syrup. Chloe stabbed a few links and put them on the boys plates, too. Connor and Kaid dove in, not noticing Clark and Chloe sat across from them with empty plates. Clark hung a hand down by his side, open-palmed. Chloe placed hers within and felt her heart-rate slow considerably as Clark wrapped his fingers around hers. She was no longer alone. She looked over at Clark, who looked as nervous as she did. He nodded.

"Kaid, you remember, right after Halloween, you asked me where you and your brother come from?" Chloe started.

Kaid looked up, a drop of syrup hanging at the corner of his lips. Connor's head followed as well. Identical hazel eyes peered at Chloe. Kaid nodded.

"And Connor, you remember when you asked me one day why I never talked about your father and why he wasn't here?"

Connor also nodded. Their mouths were still full, but they were chewing slowly.

"You see, me and your dad were best friends growing up," Chloe said.

"You mean, like me and Claire?" Connor supplied.

"Yes, like you and Claire. And like you and your brother, he was different. Your speed and your strength come from him. And you'll only get stronger and faster as you grow up. You'll develop other abilities, too."

"Like what?" Kaid asked warily.

"Like you'll be able hear when people barely whisper," Clark began. "You'll be able to see through solid objects. You'll be able to blow over a building with a single breath. And just maybe, one day, you'll be able fly."

Connor and Kaid stared back at Clark, their mouths hanging open.

"How do you know?" Connor asked.

"He knows because those are all the things that Clark can do," Chloe paused, feeling a lump form in her stomach. "And you two are just like him."

"Why?" Kaid questioned.

"Because Clark is your Dad," Chloe answered.

Forks clattered to the table top as Connor and Kaid looked from Chloe to Clark and back again.

"Really?" Connor whispered.

Chloe nodded, not able to speak.

"You're our dad?" Kaid asked, his little voice small and quavery.

"Yeah, I am," Clark answered, his jaw tight with emotion.

"Where have you been?" Connor asked.

"I had to go away for a while, before the two of you were born."

"Why didn't you come back when you found out about us?" Kaid asked.

Chloe stood and rounded the table. She sat down at the head chair and reached across for the boys hands, dragging her sleeve through maple syrup. "He didn't know. He was in a place I couldn't reach him."

"But you said he loved us and wanted us to be happy-" Connor started.

"I do love you and want you to be happy," Clark broke in. "If your mom could have got to me and told me, there is nothing in this world that could have kept me from you two."

"Where were you?" Kaid questioned.

"Someday I'll take you there," Clark answered. "Both of you."

"Why didn't you tell us when you came back?" Connor fired.

"That was my fault," Chloe began. "Guys, Clark didn't know he was your dad until we got kidnapped. I hadn't told him yet."

"Why not?" Kaid asked with a glower.

"I was scared," Chloe told her sons truthfully.

"Why?" Connor asked, using his and his brother's new favorite word.

"It's complicated," Chloe said. "When you're older, we'll explain everything to you, but right now, I can only say I'm sorry."

The two boys looked from Chloe to Clark, eying him with suspicion.

"Why are we like this?" Connor directed at Clark.

Clark took a deep breath. "I grew up here, but I wasn't born here. I was born somewhere else, on another planet."

"Like Mars?" Connor said with a face.

"You're an alien?" Kaid matched his brother's expression.

"We don't use the word alien, boys," Chloe admonished.

"Does that mean we're aliens?" Connor turned to Chloe, his eyes huge and panicked.

"You're not an alien," Clark said sternly. "You're half Kryptonian. They were people just like your mom and Ollie and your Aunt Lois. They just came from another planet in another galaxy. Our bodies are made up exactly the way everyone else's is except the exposure to the sun here gives us special abilities. You still have a heart and a stomach and a brain. You have blood and spit and tears just like everyone else. The only thing that makes you different is the way we react to the sun."

"Are there any others like us?" Kaid wanted to know.

Clark shook his head. "I have a cousin but she's not here. The three of us are the only ones left."

"What happened?" Connor asked.

"That's a story for another time," Clark answered.

Connor and Kaid looked at their laps and then back at him.

"Are you going to go away again?" Connor whispered.

"I'm going to try really hard not to," Clark replied.

"You promise?" Kaid asked.

Clark stood from his chair and went to the other end of the table, opposite of Chloe. He sat down next to Kaid, laying a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Chloe watching him, the same question swimming in her own eyes. Clark held her eyes for a moment before looking at Connor and Kaid.

"I promise."

Connor and Kaid looked at one another. Connor turned his head back to Chloe with a smile. "We were hoping he was our dad!" He whispered excitedly. As one, they slipped off their chairs and tumbled over to Clark, each boy climbing up onto a thigh and hugging Clark's neck. Chloe stood, pressing a hand to her trembling lips.

Tears that Clark could no longer hold in spilled down his face as he wrapped his arms around his sons, pulling them as close as he could. He felt Chloe come to stand beside him, laying her soft hands on his shoulders.

Connor pulled away and turned excitedly to Kaid. "He's our dad!"

"And he's Superman!" Kaid returned, causing both Clark and Chloe to laugh through their tears.

"Does this mean Aunt Martha is our Grandma?" Connor asked somberly.

"Yes, it does. And that the man in all those pictures is your Grandpa," Clark explained.

"But he's dead," Kaid pointed out a little sadly.

"I'll tell you all about him," Clark said.

"Is our Grandma Kryonian?" Connor asked.

"Kryptonian," Clark corrected gently. "And, no. Your grandparents adopted me."

Kaid looked up at Chloe. "Is Aunt Lo still our Aunt?" He asked with concern.

"Aunt Lo is still your Aunt," Chloe answered with a grin as she touched his cheek.

Connor and Kaid hugged Clark one more time before returning to their chairs and digging into their pancakes again, bright smiles on both their faces. Clark joined Chloe over at the counter as she watched them.

"Told you," Chloe murmured when Clark's hip met her waist.

"And you were right, as usual," Clark replied.

"You doubted that?" She teased, looking up at him.

* * *

One o'clock rolled around and the snow had melted just enough that Chloe and Clark saw a sturdy, maroon colored sedan turn into the driveway.

"Mom's driving," Clark said.

"Good," Chloe responded. "Oliver and Lois are maniacs in this kind of weather."

Martha parked the car in the now invisible ruts in the back of the house. The three tumbled out of the car, Lois and Oliver's arms laden with their own gifts for the boys and Martha circled the car to the back to take out a few packages of her own. Connor and Kaid burst out of the house, running and greeting their family boisterously.

"We better help," Clark suggested as he and Chloe made their own way outside.

Merry Christmases were thrown about as Chloe took a few gifts from Lois and Clark did the same from Oliver while the boys split Martha's. As one joyful unit they walked up the steps and into the house, the boys chattering at Martha the whole time. The gifts were placed under the tree by Oliver and Clark while Chloe asked Martha and Lois what they wanted to drink. She returned with two coffees. Clark and Oliver stood by the tree talking and Clark could see Chloe out of the corner of his eye playing hostess, a role she surprisingly seemed to relish. The twins had already taken to calling Martha 'Grandma', a name she was taking great pleasure in. Each time one came over to show her something and used the endearment, she reached out and hugged them tightly.

Around three, Chloe herded everyone into the dining area to serve Christmas Dinner. Unlike Thanksgiving, the dining table was a happy place. Even though only a few from that day were there, the merriness of the family filled the room causing all parties to be especially thankful for their own Christmas Miracle. A couple of hours later, Lois and Oliver excused themselves, wanting to go for a walk before evening settled. The boys, along with faithful Shelby, went outside as well to play in the snow again. Clark, Chloe and Martha were left in the living room. Martha looked over at the couple sitting on the couch, Clark's arm tucked snugly around Chloe, her hand resting on his thigh. She looked out the window, making sure no one was making their way back into the house.

"Chloe, I think it's time for our gift," she said to the young woman.

"Oh, yes!" Chloe chirped excitedly, leaning forward.

"What is it?" Clark asked curiously. He watched his mother lean over and pick up the last gift. It was a big box with red wrapping and a blue bow with a white tag on it, his name written in his mother's practical hand. Martha handed it to Chloe who in turn set it on Clark's lap.

"The boys!" Chloe jumped up and ran to the door, calling Connor and Kaid. They came trudging in until they saw Clark with the box in his lap. Their eyes lit up and they immediately rushed over and sat on the rug in front of the fireplace.

"Go on, open it," Martha ordered.

Clark looked around at Martha and Chloe and the boys grinning at him. He cocked an eyebrow and lifted off the bow. Tossing it aside, he ripped the wrapping off to reveal a white clothing box. Even more confused, he looked at his family. Chloe bit her lip in impatience. Clark took the lid off and dug through the tissue paper. His hands met a silky fabric, almost like his Halloween Costume. Dragging it upwards, Clark pulled up a suit.

"What is this?" Clark asked, peering at the royal blue hued outfit with a bright red 'S' in the middle of a yellow diamond.

"It's you super suit!" Connor exclaimed.

"We helped make it! The 'S' is for Superman!" Kaid cried.

"It was their idea actually," Chloe explained, taking a seat next to Clark. "They wanted to make sure you had a proper suit. I remembered what your Family Crest looked like and your mom's been working and sewing like a mad-woman since the beginning of December. Personally, I think you look so much better in Technicolor than in black and white."

"It's light enough that you can wear it under your clothes," Martha continued. "I saw the picture in the Daily Planet and it just popped."

"There's a cape in the bottom," Connor said.

"We even found some boots for you, too, but I don't think those are in there," Kaid told him.

"Wow," Clark said, momentarily stunned. "Thanks." He continued to look at it. He liked it. He really did. It was made with love which meant it was important.

"Do you like it?" Connor and Kaid asked, standing at his knee.

"I _love _it!" Clark set it aside and leaned over and hugged both of them.

"Come on, guys. Let's go build that Snowman!" Martha said, standing from her own chair and making her way outside with Connor and Kaid. "You two coming?" Martha asked as she stuck her head back in.

"Yeah, we'll be out in a minute," Clark answered. Martha nodded and shut the door. Clark and Chloe could hear the happy shouts of the boys as they played in the snow, Martha directing them on how to roll the big balls for the body.

"You _do _like it, don't you, Clark?" Chloe asked, gesturing to the suit.

Clark looked at the suit and then at her. "I do, Chloe. I really do. The only thing is, it's so noticeable."

"That's the point," Chloe replied.

"Chloe, that one time was not something I want to do again. I could be easily recognized," Clark pointed out.

"Who is going to believe for a moment that Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter who covers things like kitten adoptions and Senior Swim, flies around the city in a blue, skin-tight suit saving people? That, in itself, is a disguise. The city needs to see you. I've been reading online about how just Bruce's presence as Batman in Gotham has the criminals running scared. You could do the same for Metropolis. The city needs a beacon of hope." Chloe cupped one of Clark's cheeks and turned his face to hers. "It's time to step out of the shadows, Clark."

Clark looked back at the suit. He'd give it a try. "Okay, but the first crack Bart makes, it's back to the trench."

"Whatever you say, big guy," Chloe giggled, kissing him on the cheek. "Now come on, we have a Snowman to help build."

"Wait, I've got a present for you, too," Clark said as they stood.

"Clark, I already told you-"

Clark silenced her with a kiss. "It's in the barn."

"It's in the _barn?" _Chloe repeated with raised eyebrows.

Clark quickly shut the lid on his suit and stuffed it back beside the tree. Sliding into coats, Clark led Chloe by hand to the barn. "Stand right here," he ordered, positioning her in the middle of the structure. Chloe continued to eye him warily as he went around one of the tractors into a corner. Kneeling down, he swept his hand over the secret trapdoor covered by years of dust, hay and time. Wrenching it open, he pulled up the box. Unclasping the wooden knob, he lifted the lid and reached inside. Wrapping the object in his shirt, Clark rubbed it with super-speed. When he held it up, it winked in the light. Replacing the box, he walked back over to Chloe. He stood over Chloe quietly before holding the Kawatche bracelet up before her.

Chloe let out a breathy sigh. She reached out and ran her fingers over the smooth, flawless surface and the perfectly oval, turquoise stone set within. "It's beautiful, Clark. Where did you get it?"

"Professor Willowbrook, the head of the Kawatche Tribe here, gave it to me back when I was fifteen. He told me it had been passed down from generations through their clan. It was to be worn by Numan's True One, the human woman he chose to be by his side for all eternity," Clark spoke slowly, almost reverently, his words caressing over them as they stood so close together. "You see these symbols on either side of the stone? They're Kryptonian."

"What do they say?" Chloe asked in a hush.

"This one," Clark pointed to the left symbol. "Means 'Courage' and the one on the right, means 'Virtue'. Professor Willowbrook told me that the woman who was meant for this bracelet would possess both those things. The one on top of the stone means 'Unending' and the one below means 'Devotion'."

Clark met Chloe's eyes again and she swallowed as he went down on one knee.

"The first time I saw you, Chloe, I could tell you were special. As we got older, I knew that even if we were never anything but friends, I would spend the rest of my life with you. I just knew that. I realize now that long ago I chose you. I chose you to be the one at my side. You were the one I trusted and depended on. You were the one I always wanted to have with me, whether we were busting Lex or having a bad day, you were the one I always felt better having with me. You always try so hard to make me happy and you've always accepted me and never expected anything in return. You're the one I want to have with me for the rest of my life. I never asked you properly and I don't have a ring, so I hope this will do," Clark lifted the bracelet up between them. "Chloe Anne Sullivan, will you marry me?"

A smile that seemed to light up the barn with ten times the brightness of the sun spread over her face. Placing her hands on Clark's broad shoulders, Chloe laid her forehead against his.

"I would love to marry you, Clark Joseph Kent," she whispered as tears ran down her cheeks.

Clark tilted his head upward and caught her lips. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, her happiness and overwhelming joy spilling into him. Clark surged to his feet, catching Chloe to him as he twirled her around. Setting her back on her feet, Clark pushed up the sleeve of her jacket. Lovingly, he slid the bracelet onto her wrist. A golden glow surrounded her wrist for a moment, a single, sweet note humming quietly before the light ebbed away and left both Clark and Chloe looking around the silent barn.

"Clark, look!" Chloe whispered urgently.

Clark looked down at her wrist. She had it turned to where the underside of her wrist was showing. Where there had been a gap in the metal was now connected, the metal fused together seamlessly. Clark ran his fingers along it, the metal warm under his touch.

"Does it hurt? Is it too tight?" Clark asked with concern. He didn't know it was going to do that.

"No," Chloe answered. "I can't even feel it." She looked up in awe at Clark.

"You really are meant for me," Clark murmured.

Chloe leaned against Clark, nuzzling into his arms. She laughed quietly. "We match. His and hers bracelets!" She teased.

"Hey," Clark replied with a glower. "Mine's not a _bracelet. _It's a wrist _band."_

"Clark! Chloe! Where are you?" Lois called out.

"In the barn!" Chloe yelled back. She took Clark's hand and looked up at him. "I love you."

Clark squeezed her hand. "I love you, too." Together, they walked out of the barn.

"Dad! Think fast!" A little voice yelled. Chloe ducked but it took Clark a moment to realize Kaid was yelling at him. A snow ball hit him square on the chin. Clark wiped the wetness off his chin, drips of it running down into his shirt. He looked to his left and saw two blonde heads hiding behind the hood of the farm truck. Oliver, Lois, Martha and now Chloe were each hiding behind Martha's sedan.

Suddenly, Oliver stood and bellowed, "_Now!"_

Snowballs began to fly from all directions, pelting him in his chest and thighs and neck. Clark gathered up as much snow as he could, throwing it back but being sadly out-numbered. Soon, everyone came out from their hiding places and began throwing the snow at each other. Lois was stuffing it down Oliver's collar while Chloe and Martha tossed snow balls at each other. Clark felt two solid things attach to his legs and he fell down. Connor and Kaid climbed on top of him, wrestling the way they did the morning they all went to breakfast. Clark got a hold of each with an arm and held them imprisoned, soon finding they were as ticklish as their mother was.

"We give in! We give in!" The boys yelled with laughter.

Clark released them and all three got to their feet. The snow ball fight had stopped and everyone stood grinning at each other. Connor and Kaid slipped their hands inside Clark's.

"Come on, Dad," Connor said, looking up at his tall father. "Help us make a snowman."

"All right, son," Clark replied, a lump forming in his throat. He let the boys lead him to the front where they had started the bottom. A few minutes later, he looked around at everyone pitching in to build the snowman. Chloe, Lois and Martha were helping to form the upper part of his body while Oliver was searching for stick arms. Soon the Snowman was erected. Chloe had found an old hat to sit on his head while Lois relinquished her scarf to wrapped around his neck. Clark and Oliver placed the sticks as arms and the boys were making his eyes, smile and buttons with little pieces of coal they'd been given. Finally, Martha came out with a carrot and completed him by giving him a nose. They all stood back to admire their work.

Clark stood with Chloe and Martha on one side and Lois and Oliver on the other, the twins and Shelby in front of them. He wrapped an arm around Chloe and the other around his mother, pulling them in for a hug.

With a deep, contented sigh, Clark said, "It's good to be home."

Connor and Kaid looked back up at their parents. "Do we still got to move to _Baltimore_?" Kaid asked with disgust.

Clark and Chloe looked at each other and then back at their sons. _"No," _they answered in unison.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Which one did she want?" Clark muttered to himself, a few months later, as he stared inside the freezer case with a perplexed expression. Quickly, he retraced the morning. Only an hour and a half earlier, Clark was sitting in the kitchen in his pajamas with a cup of coffee, waiting for the boys to come down for breakfast. It was his day off, which meant it was his turn to make breakfast and get the boys ready, allowing Chloe to stay in bed as long as she wanted. He turned the TV on, listening absently to the morning news. A breaking news bulletin caught his attention. Clark set his mug down and wandered into the living room. An attractive field reporter with long black hair stood in front of the sky high City Hall building.

_". . .where just minutes before former city employee Ray Waller came barreling in with a gun. Ray Waller had worked for the Sanitation Department of Metropolis for almost two years until a more in-depth background check revealed he'd falsified his application. His real is Derek Raymond Wallings, a man wanted in several other states in connection to multiple on-going sexual assault investigations. Police here believe he may also be the Suicide Rapist that has been terrorizing the lower area of Metropolis for the better part of a year. After being fired for lying on his application, Ray Waller has now taken Mayor Kensington hostage, demanding the equivalent of his life's salary had he continued working for the city. City officials and the Police Department are scrambling to find a solution to this deadly stand-off."_

"Chloe!" Clark called as he made his way up the stairs. Connor and Kaid stepped out of their room, half-way dressed.

"Everything okay, Dad?" Connor asked, his little brow furrowed. Clark only yelled for Chloe like this if there was trouble.

"Yeah, everything is fine, guys," Clark answered with a reassuring smile. "Mom's going to take you to school. Hurry up and get dressed now and don't make her have to nag you."

"Yes, sir," Kaid nodded before they disappeared inside their room again. Clark stepped across the hall, pushing their bedroom door open. Chloe sat up on the side of the bed, her sleepy eyes blinking at him.

"What's wrong?" She asked around a yawn.

Clark opened up their closet and dug in the back, pulling out his suit. "There is a hostage situation in Metropolis-" he started.

"Say no more," Chloe said as she got up. Clark had already zipped into his suit and was pulling jeans and a sweat-shirt over it. "Be careful."

"Always am," Clark replied before he opened the window and prepared the leave.

"Can you pick up some ice cream on your way home?" Chloe asked behind him.

Clark shook his head, one foot hanging out the window. "Chloe, Superman-"

"I'm not asking Superman. I'm asking my husband," Chloe said sweetly with a challenging glint in her eye.

Clark narrowed his own at her playfully. "What flavor?"

Chloe opened her mouth to tell him. "Smallville?"

"Smallville? That's not right," Clark muttered.

"Clark."

Clark looked to his left. He swallowed. "Hi, Lois."

Lois cocked her head at him. "What are you doing here? Isn't it your day off? Did you come in for the hostage story?"

"No," Clark answered quickly. "I came in for uh-" He pointed toward the freezer case. Lois joined him in front of it.

"You drove three hoursround trip for 32 ouncesof ice cream?" Judging by her face, Clark knew she wasn't particularly buying his story.

"Yeah," Clark said, opening the door and reaching for the first thing his fingers touched. "Chloe loves Blue Bell and they don't have it in Smallville."

With suspicious eyes, Lois took the tub from his hands and set it back on the shelf.

"Hey!"

She picked up another and shoved it into his hands. Clark looked down at it._Mocha Almond Fudge! _Clark looked back at Lois. "What did I have?"

"Pistachio Pudding," she told him. "So, let me get this straight. You woke up at seven o'clock to drive in and get my baby cousin ice cream?"

"Yes, I did," Clark answered smugly. "What are _you _doing here? Shouldn't you be down at city hall pushing for a quote or stalking the Big Man in Blue?"

"Well, I would be but _this _happened." Lois untied her coat and pulled it open, revealing a huge stain on the front of her expensive lilac colored sweater. "The_dweeb photographer _the Planet stuck me with saw Superman fly out of the window with the shooter and went to chuck his morning espresso to get a picture of him and over shot his throw about three feet!"

"Lois, haven't you learned not to let Scott have coffee when they send you two out together?" Clark questioned, thinking of the same exact incident that happened about a month ago when Lois covered the attempted bombing of the French Embassy. Clark told her he'd catch up with them and then changed into Superman, getting the bomb out just in time to fly it up into the atmosphere and throw it so it would explode in space. Scott Mitchell had done the same thing trying to get his shot off before Clark was out of sight, spilling his tepid Latte down the front of Lois' eggshell blouse.

"Maybe if I keep adding dry cleaning bills to my expense report, Perry will get the message and not assign me dorks anymore," Lois suggested sweetly.

Clark rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should talk to your boss."

"Are you kidding? I've gotten in trouble for dating my editor before, who knows what would happen if people found out I was fooling around with the owner!"

"And that is my cue to leave," Clark said curtly, walking past Lois in the direction of the registers.

"Don't be such a prude, Smallville!" Lois hissed behind him. "I don't exactly believe it's the Immaculate Conception with Chloe."

"Hello there," Clark said to the cashier, desperately trying to ignore Lois. "How are you?" The young man scanned the tub of ice cream, ignoring Clark and ogling Lois. Clark followed his eyes and found Lois just standing there with him. "Aren't you getting anything?"

"No," Lois answered.

"That will be 4.52, sir," the guy said.

"Then why did you come in here?" Clark asked as he fished a five from his wallet and handed it to the cashier.

"I followed you in here," Lois answered.

"Why?" Clark asked, groaning when he realized he sounded like his sons.

"Gosh, Clark. If I didn't know you any better I'd say you were hiding something. Were you really here to get ice cream for my cousin or someone else?"

"Lois!" Clark exclaimed at her outlandish suggestion. He took the tub of ice cream from the cashier and stormed away from the register and out onto the sidewalk. He could hear Lois scurrying behind him and took a sharp left, fading into the rabble of people crossing the street.

"Clark! I was just teasing!" Lois called a from a few paces behind him.

_How the hell can she hang on to me like this? _Clark thought frantically. She'd soon find out he didn't have transportation here if he couldn't shake her. But shaking Lois was like shaking a blood hound off the scent.

"Now, I'm really starting to believe you're two-timing my cousin!" Lois shrilled a few feet behind him.

Clark groaned again as he saw the stares at the other pedestrians passing him. He stopped and turned back to Lois who stood with her hand on her hip, a murderous gleam in her eyes. "I'm not _two-timing _Chloe. I just need to get this home before this melts," Clark told her through clenched teeth.

"Because that's going to happen," Lois replied.

"I have a cooler in the back of the truck," Clark lied. "Is there something you need?"

"I was going to ask you if you would mind dropping me off at my apartment. I was breaking new heels in today, but they're breaking me. How about it? Feel like being my white knight?"

"Not really," Clark answered. He brought his fingers to his lips and whistled sharply. A cab broke away from the herd and pulled up on the curb.

"Clark, you can't be serious-"

"My treat. Go on, get in now," Clark said, hustling Lois into the cab. He threw two twenties in the front seat at the driver.

"Clark!" Lois shouted through the half-open window as Clark slammed the door on her.

"3304 W Cooper Blvd," Clark shouted, thumping the roof of the car twice and it pulled away, Lois still yelling at him as it went. Clark breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the yellow vehicle merge into on-going traffic. Backing away, he made his way into the alley between two buildings. Double checking his surroundings, Clark took off.

He came down in the field behind the barn, sending a couple of Marcus' frightened calves scurrying for their mothers. He made his way up to his house and opening the back door, stepped inside the kitchen.

"I'm home!"

"Hi, sweetie!" Clark turned at his mother's voice.

"Hey, Mom. I thought you were leaving this morning?" Clark asked as he put the ice cream in the freezer. He walked over and leaned down where Martha was sitting and kissed her on the cheek.

"I was. I came over to say good-bye, but I got talking to Burt and he said they'd be done with the renovation about mid-afternoon. I decided to hang around for the unveiling," Martha replied, flipping casually through a Homes &amp; Gardens Magazine.

"Great. Where's Chloe?" Clark asked, looking around for his wife.

"Where do you think?"

"Really?"

"She's convinced they can't do it right unless she's standing right there. I got her down here for about ten minutes but then she heard someone drop a hammer and that was the end of that," Martha laughed.

"I'll get her," Clark said, following the sound of thuds and bangs to the second floor. He crested the stairs and saw Chloe, standing with her back to him, her head cocked as she held the cordless phone to her ear.

"Yes, I did send him!" Chloe yelled to be heard over the workers. "If Clark is having an affair then it's with a malfunctioning printer at the Planet! No, Lois, you do not need to trail him! I can just stick a tracking device on him the next time he walks out the door! Thanks for the offer though! Yeah, I'll see you later!" Chloe pulled the phone away and held it down by her side, watching the men as they worked. Clark stole up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle.

"Lois tattling on me?" Clark said close to her ear so she could hear him.

Chloe laughed. "You know," she said as she turned in his arms. "Maybe we should tell her you're having an affair. Get her off Superman's case for awhile."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Does she have to so gosh dang nosy _all _the time?"

"Watch it," Chloe snapped, poking him in the chest. "That's a family trait."

"But it's so much cuter on you," Clark replied.

"Morning, Mr. Kent!" One of the guys called.

Clark waved back, withdrawing from Chloe with a small blush. He'd forgotten they could be seen. Taking her hand he started to lead her away from where the construction on the house was taking place.

"No, I want to watch," she said, pulling back against him.

"The last time I checked, Chloe, you didn't have a degree in Architecture," Clark argued.

"So? Doesn't mean I can't offer a few constructive criticisms," Chloe replied.

"Come on. Don't you want to hear about the Mayor?" Clark dangled.

"Fine," Chloe relented. She allowed Clark to pull her into their bedroom where he shut the door. "I did catch a little of it on the news. Liked the little wave you gave to what's-her-face."

Clark detected a sly note of jealousy in Chloe's voice as he opened the closet door and began undressing at a normal pace. "You know Lori Lemaris has been instrumental in rallying support for Superman among the media. You didn't seem to care that Lois went on and on last week about how Superman _winked_at her after pushing her out of the way of that speeding getaway car."

"That's different," Chloe said from her cross-legged position on the bed.

"How?" Clark sat at the end of the bed, pulling on some socks.

"You can't stand Lois."

"I can barely tolerate Lori Lemaris. What else you got?" Clark asked, pulling on his jeans again before topping it a light cotton t-shirt. He faced Chloe again, enjoying seeing her flustered. Usually he was the one getting needled when he so much as glared at the construction worker who eyed Chloe a little too long.

"Lois has Oliver. Lori can get her own Super-Hero," Chloe finished with a shake of her blonde head.

"Lori's not in the market for a suped up boyfriend. She's dating the Governor's son," Clark told Chloe, putting both feet on the floor, twisting to face Chloe. "You have no reason to be jealous."

Chloe gaped at Clark. "I am _not _jealous."

"Chloe," Clark started.

Chloe stood up and went to stand in front of Clark. "I hate hormones," she muttered.

"I like your hormones. They're my favorite part about you," Clark replied, pulling her in closer between his knees. Chloe laid her arms around his neck.

"Hmmm. . . And here I thought it was my technological savvy that had you floored," Chloe whispered.

"How are my girls this morning?" Clark asked with a quick glance at Chloe's slightly rounded tummy, fingering the Blue Kryptonite band she wore on her wrist. "The boys didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

"We're fine and no, the boys were perfect angels. You seem to forget, I handled them all by my normal, non-Kryptonian self for the first eight years. I can get by one morning without back-up," Chloe snipped.

"You never were good at accepting help," Clark muttered.

"You knew that going in," Chloe replied. With a quick kiss, she pulled back and stepped to the door. "I'm going downstairs. I need to see what we can make for dinner."

"Hey, speaking of the Lois thing-"

"Oh, yeah. She's coming to dinner tonight," Chloe told him quickly before ducking out the door.

Clark followed her, dogging her heels as she skipped down the stairs. "Chloe, no," Clark whined behind her. "I already had the awkward exchange with her this morning. And it was my day off!"

"It sounds like you still have a quota to fill," Chloe threw over her shoulder as they arrived in the kitchen. She went to the refrigerator and peered inside.

"Isn't it enough I have to see her at work? And she's always here! Are you sure she hasn't been evicted from her apartment?"

Martha listened to the two of them argue, smiling behind her magazine. They fought as if they'd been married for forty years instead of the newlywed period of four months.

"Boy, Clark, you better watch yourself. You're dormant ability of Super-Whining is making it's appearance again," Chloe told him as she shut the fridge and leaned against it. "Whether you like it or not, when you married me, you married Lois. We're kind of a set, if you haven't noticed." Chloe pushed away and came to stand in front of her pouting husband. "She's been so lonely since Oliver moved back to Star City. They don't get to see each other as much as they'd like with Oliver auditing his company branch there."

Clark breathed in through his nose. Lois had been to dinner at the house for the past three nights. When he walked in and saw his mother sitting at his table, he threw together a quick plan to butter her into baby-sitting so he and Chloe could spend some time alone. Now, it seemed he was to be over-run by family. "Fine," Clark muttered.

"Good. One other thing," Chloe began. "I think it's time we tell her about you."  
_"What?!"_

Chloe jumped and looked back and forth between Clark and Martha, who had spoke in unison with her son, slamming down the magazine she had been pretending to read. Chloe put a hand to her heart. Immediately, Clark folded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Chloe, this is nothing against Lois, but I really don't want anymore people to know than they already do." Clark threw a look to his mother for support.

Martha stood and joined the couple in the kitchen. "Hear her out," she said, laying a hand on Clark's arm.

"First of all, she knows about the League. She also knows Clark is a part of said League and it's not gone unnoticed that _all _members have some sort of ability," Chloe held a few fingers up, circling the island to stand opposite of Clark and Martha. "Second, she has known about Oliver and has always been a help, not a hindrance. When anyone got too close in the past couple of years, she was able to throw up some kind of fence. Third, she's family. She's my best friend and like my sister. I can't lie to her anymore."

"I don't want you to lie to her either," Clark said, coming to stand beside Chloe and taking her hands. "But, you've got to understand. I work with her. One slip of her tongue and it could all be over."

"That's what got me started thinking," Chloe replied, her eyes gleaming as she began to rationalize. "Clark, you are always having to make excuses about why you have to stay behind when a big story breaks or how you'll catch up with her and always seem to show _after _Superman does his thing. Trust me when I say, Lois has already started putting two and two together. When we would break stories in the Torch, you would always _conveniently _disappear then reappear right after everything was squared away. I had my questions and my theories. Then I found out what you could do. It made sense! And even if you didn't I knew, you didn't seem that shy about cutting out suddenly. Don't you see? If Lois knew, you wouldn't have to think up excuses. Like when those robbers pulled that Antiquity Heist at the museum?" Chloe looked over at Martha. "He told Lois to go on without him because he needed to tie his shoe."

Martha bit back a laugh.

"This is a good thing," Chloe continued earnestly. "Superman is gaining more and more popularity each day. And along with that popularity, the list of your enemies grows longer with it." Chloe gripped Clark's hands tighter, allowing him to see the fear in her eyes. "There is only so much I can do from Watchtower. Lois is a powerful ally."

Clark couldn't argue with any of the reasons Chloe had tallied off. He could tell she'd given this a lot of thought.

"Plus, I don't think we're going get lucky again for a politician to take her off our hands when these little girls are due," Chloe began again. "She's going to notice when my nine month due date comes and goes. And another thing, Kaid dented her car last week."

"When did this happen?" Clark demanded.

Chloe bit her bottom lip. "Connor and Kaid were playing football in the yard and Kaid ran for the ball and landed on the hood of her car."

"What did she say?"

"I got them to pop the dent out before she saw it," Chloe said quietly.

Clark put a hand to his forehead. Martha stepped forward.

"You know, honey, I think I'm going to agree with Chloe on this one. Lois has always proved trustworthy and she is family," Martha agreed. Chloe smiled brightly at winning over the Kent Matriarch. The two women looked back to Clark.

As with every choice Clark had, he weighed the pros and cons. This was a weighty burden. If anyone tied Lois to him, she could be in danger. If anyone tied Chloe and the boys to Superman, they could be in danger. Lois could also have a freak out. What would she do when she found out her cousin was married to an alien? That her nephews were part-Kryptonian? Maybe they could leave that out. Clark had been monitoring Lois' progress on the unveiling of Superman's true identity and he knew, like Chloe, that she was getting uncomfortably close. He knew she had pegged his age, his weight, his height and that he held a job in the downtown area, likely an eight to five. If Lois was anything like Chloe, and the two were uncannily similar, it wouldn't be long before Lois had his name. He knew she would never out him if she knew. Clark knew all was needed was to beat her to the punch.

Squaring his jaw, he looked over at his mother and his wife. "Fine," Clark gave in, throwing his hands up in submission. "How are we going to do this?"

* * *

Martha took the boys into Smallville to meet up with some friends at the movie theater. Connor ran across the field to invite both of Marcus' daughters to go and all four kids piled into Martha's sedan. Clark and Chloe made dinner in comfortable silence, waiting for Lois to arrive.

"Have you heard from Lana?" Clark asked Chloe as he cut the fat off three steaks.

"Yeah, she called a few days ago. Her and Davis are doing good. They're all settled in Baltimore. I'm so glad she was able to take the house. She can't wait to set up the Baltimore office," Chloe answered, slicing potatoes.

Clark looked over at Chloe. "Are you happy, Chloe?"

Chloe met Clark's eyes. "What?"

"Are you happy? Have you been happy since you stepped down from Isis?"

After Christmas, Chloe and Lana had a long talk about Lana's plans for the future. She had helped Davis construct a new identity again and was willing to go wherever he could get a job.

"Would you ever consider coming back to Isis, Lana?" Chloe asked the day she and Lana met in Metropolis for dinner.

Lana took a sip from her wine glass, mulling over her feelings. "I don't know. I really don't want to live in Metropolis. Or Kansas, for that matter. And I'm not sure I'm cut out for an eight to five job anymore, Chloe. Also, Davis got his license reinstated and he's looking for EMT jobs. Depending where he got a job, I don't even know where I'm going right now."

"So you and Davis-"

Lana had the grace to blush. "He's really sweet, Chloe. And he wants to help people, in any way he can. He's a lot like Clark, but different somehow."

"That's great, Lana. I'm happy for the both of you. It doesn't bother you two the difference in physical status?"

"Did it ever bother you about Clark?" Lana asked. "That he could do so many things and you couldn't?"

"At times," Chloe answered truthfully. "But that one time he was mortal, I realized that I wasn't just _only _the side-kick. I was an equal partner in crime. I help the world in my own way, ways that Clark could never do."

Lana rested her chin on her hand, her face open and honest. "When did you know? When did you know about what Clark could do, I mean?"

"The second half of our senior year. I saw him catch a car one night," Chloe answered with a soft smile, thinking back on the night that had changed her life more than she could have ever imagined. "Why, Lana?"

"We never really talked about it. I don't mean to make this old girlfriend versus new, well, old girlfriend versus _wife, _but there are so many things I never asked you that I always wanted to," Lana said. "You don't think it will bother Davis that I am the way I am?"

"Davis likes strong women. You're right up his alley," Chloe answered.

Dinner lasted late into the evening. Lana accepted the position in Baltimore, genuinely excited about the ideas she and Chloe had talked about. A few weeks later, Chloe found out she was pregnant again. Making a command decision, Chloe met with Lana and Gladys. She was going to step down totally from Isis. Lana had no interest in being CEO again and Gladys was apprehensive at first, but after many urgings from Lana and Chloe, accepted the job. It was made official at a news conference the next day. Since then, Chloe had devoted all her time to Watchtower, Clark and the boys. She had never been happier.

Clark set the steaks on a plate, getting ready to sear them over the stove-top. He regarded her closely.

"How can you ask me that, Clark. You know how happy I am," Chloe told him.

Clark fired up the burner and set one of the steaks on the grill pan. "You were also so happy in the Metropolis. You stepped down from Isis without even talking to me. My mom did the same thing for my dad. She loved her life here, but I can see how happy she is as a U.S. Senator. I don't want to think that you gave up something that makes you happy for me."

"Clark," Chloe set down her knife and crossed the kitchen. She leaned against Clark's side and wrapped her hands around his arm. "_You _make me happy. Truly happy. You always have. I don't care what I'm doing, as long as I'm doing it with_you_. Yes, at one time my dream was to be a big city reporter for the Daily Planet, but all I want now is to live my life with you and our children and bust the occasional bad guy. Since I've stepped down from Isis, I have so much more time for the boys and for Watchtower, which is where I really want to be."

"So, you're not bored?" Clark looked over his shoulder at her.

"When has life with you ever been _boring?" _Chloe fired back. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed the back of his neck. Clark let the steak fall to the pan and turned, catching Chloe in his arms and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately.

The kitchen door swung open and Lois stopped abruptly. "Can you hang a tie on the knob or something? Warn a person about what they're walking into."

Clark let go of Chloe with a growl as Lois stomped in and slammed her purse down on the counter. He returned to searing the steaks.

"Hey, Lo," Chloe greeted as she went back to her potatoes.

Lois marched over to the refrigerator and opened up the freezer on top, searching inside.

"What are you doing, Lois?" Clark asked.

"Keeping you honest, Clark. Aha!" Lois yanked out the carton of Mocha Almond Fudge. She looked over at Clark. "Looks like you alibi checks out."

"My alibi for what?" Clark replied testily.

"Lois, why don't you help me with these potatoes?" Chloe suggested.

Lois went to stand by Chloe and helped peel potatoes. The rest of the preparations were made with hushed conversation between Lois and Chloe, Clark nervously searing his steaks and then taking them outside the grill them. When the door closed behind him, Lois looked over at Chloe.

"Is Smallville all right? I was only pulling his leg when I checked for the ice cream. I know he would never cheat on you, Chloe."

"I know. Clark has just been a little stressed out lately," Chloe told her.

"How are you feeling? This time going easy than last time?" Lois asked.

"Yes. I know what to expect this time and what helps." Chloe reached across Lois and put a couple of dishes in the sink.

"Hey, isn't that the thing Lex was after? Why are you wearing it?"

"Steaks are ready!" Clark called as he came in with a plate of smoking beef. "Hubbard's Finest."

Most of dinner was eaten in silence, Lois picking up on the agitated state of Clark and Chloe. She tried to make nice with Clark a few times, but gave up when he only gave one word answers.

"You want help with the dishes?" Lois asked when dinner was finally over. "Where are the boys, by the way?"

"Martha took them into town for a movie," Chloe answered, organizing the dishes for wash later.

"On a school night? Wow, you two are really spoiling them, aren't you?"

"Lois, we need to talk to you," Chloe said. Clark stood behind her, hands on her shoulders.

Lois regarded her friends and now close family. "Is everything okay?" She was starting to worry.

"Let's go sit down," Clark suggested. He maneuvered both women into the family room. Lois sat down on the couch and was surprised when Chloe and Clark sat down on either side of her.

She swung her head back and forth between them. "You guys are really starting to wig me out. What's with the parent routine? Am I in trouble? Did I miss curfew?"

"There's not really an easy way to tell you this," Chloe started.

"Oh, god. Is there something wrong with the baby?" Lois asked frantically. "Martha? Your dad?"

"Lois, everyone is fine," Chloe reassured her. She looked over at Clark. "You wanna?"

Lois swiveled to face Clark. "You wanna what?"

"You know how you've been chasing that exclusive with Superman?" Clark asked.

"Yeah, so?" Lois looked back to Chloe.

"Well, here's your chance," Chloe told her.

"What are you guys getting at?"

Clark cleared his throat. "I'm Superman, Lois."

Lois' mouth dropped open. The room was deathly quiet, so quiet Clark knew he wasn't the only one who would hear a pin drop. Chloe and Clark watched Lois carefully. Suddenly, she began to laugh. Laugh hysterically. Clark sat back, highly offended. Chloe continued to watch her cousin. Lois laughed so hard her face turned red and she doubled over, holding her sides.

"Lois?" Chloe asked, a hand on her back.

Lois sat back up, tears in her eyes. "Oh! You two are so funny! And it's not even April Fool's!" She choked out before be consumed by laughter again.

"Lois, we're serious," Chloe began. "Clark is Superman. Martha and the boys came up with the suit."

Lois' laughter got louder with every sentence, guffawing as she slapped her thigh. "Chloe, stop! Stop! I'm going to ruin my pants!"

Clark stood, crossing his arms. "Lois, this is not a joke," he said severely. He lowered his brows, glaring at her.

Lois pressed her mouth shut, holding in her laughter. She took a couple of breaths and finally steadied herself. She looked up Clark supremely. "Prove it."

Clark turned stiffly and stalked from the house.

"Come on," Chloe said, grabbing Lois' wrist and pulling her along behind.

"You can't be serious!" Lois exclaimed, dangerously close to laughing again. The two women tripped outside to where Clark was standing in the middle of the yard. Chloe led Lois out to Clark. Chloe stepped away.

"What do want to see?" Clark asked.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Okay, guys, I get it. I'm sorry I laughed. But, what is this really about? Clark being Superman is about as likely as me wining the Miss America Pageant."

"Up, up and away, Clark," Chloe said, taking a few more steps back. In the blink of an eye, Clark swooped Lois into his arms and shot up into the sky. Chloe heard Lois scream and shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched Clark soar against the blue sky with Lois clinging tightly to him. After a few minutes, Clark came back to the ground and landed lightly. He put Lois down, but quickly caught her when she swayed slightly.

Lois gripped Clark's shirt, her eyes huge as she stared up at him with a dreamy gaze. "Holy Crap. My Cousin-in-Law is Superman."


	28. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Seven years later. . ._

The sun filtered in through the curtains and Clark shifted the newspaper more into it's light. He held the newspaper out and then brought it in. Groaning, he reached over and grabbed the reading glasses he kept on the end table by the couch. Sliding them onto his nose, the fine print of the Daily Planet came into clear view.

"My eyes just aren't what they used to be," Clark muttered as he read. A few years ago, Clark had the Blue Kryptonite rock formed into three watch faces and set into platinum bands for him and his sons, along with two pretty pendants on matching chains for his daughters. Since then, Clark had taken to wearing his watch when he wasn't on duty. As a trade off, he was aging at a human pace it seemed, needing glasses now for reading, working on the computer and driving. Clark was completely fine with that. He'd been a little frightened by the thought of being stuck in an ageless stasis while Chloe and his children got older.

"I think you look adorably nerdy," Chloe had told him the first time he put them on to watch a movie with her.

"Nerdy as in sexy, right?" Clark clarified.

"Sure," Chloe said with a sly smile.

Lois had given him hell the next day.

"No one will recognize you now. Super disguise, Clark!" She whispered across their desks with a sarcastic thumbs-up sign.

Clark thought back to when he and Chloe told Lois. A smile graced his face as he thought of the hours and hours of questions Lois asked him that night. She was still going strong when Chloe put the boys to bed and curled up on the sofa next to Clark. He had to admit, after they'd told Lois, his job and life had become much easier. He no longer had to hide anything from the people closest to him. Lois covered easily for him at the Planet, easier than he ever could have. Clark was now able to slip quietly away, pull the switch and save the day. He would then appear beside Lois as the commotion died down, bumbling, dorky Clark Kent who, as usual, missed the action. He also gave Lois Superman's first interview, reinvigorating her career. These days, she split her time between Star City and Metropolis, between the Planet and Mayor Oliver Queen of Star City. They weren't married and didn't plan on getting married, both of them blissfully happy in their co-independence.

The League had since spread out, only coming together in dire crisis or when any of the members needed back-up. Chloe now single-handedly ran the operation, stepping up when Oliver decided to run for Mayor. She kept track of all their schedules, enemies, the crime rates in the each of the citys they manned and their paychecks. Oliver and Bruce Wayne had joined forces, funneling a good percentage of their own fortunes to keeping the League up and running. AC and Dinah had called it quits about a year ago but still remained good friends, AC moving back to Coast City and Dinah taking a job at the Washington Post. Lana and Davis were still going strong in Baltimore. Davis was working as an EMT under the name of Robert Burrow and Lana was running the Isis Branch during the day and patrolling the streets at night, going by the codename Stilletto now, an homage to the Super-Ego Lois created once to draw out the Red Blue Blur. Lois had been quite pleased when Lana had taken the suggestion. Bart and Victor had moved to San Francisco. Victor had a few steady girlfriends, but always seemed happier by himself. Bart still dated like a college frat boy, seeing one girl after another, never for more than a couple of weeks. Both came in regularly to see Chloe; Victor helping with the technological upkeep of Isis and Chloe helping him de-bug every once in a while and Bart when he needed to be coddled. Of course, come Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Kent Farm was over-run as all heroes, old and new, gathered to see each other and catch up and to celebrate with their surrogate family.

Clark flipped a couple of pages over, trying to find the article his mother had been so excited about. Martha Kent had recently been awarded the Senate Humanitarian title. She was still in the Senate, still turning down the party's invitation to run for President and still one of the highest rated Senators in the house. A few months ago, though, when she was out for the Connor and Kaid's fifteenth birthday, she hinted to Clark and Chloe she was ready to slow down. Clark knew she was getting ready to retire and knew this would probably be her last term in office. He and Chloe had already discussed building her a house close to theirs on the family land, or maybe a bigger one for them and letting Martha move back into the Kent Farm House. As Gabby and Suzy got older, their fights for space got bigger. Connor and Kaid solved the problem just fine, taking turns having the room or the loft to themselves. In a couple of years, though, they would be leaving for college and Gabby or Suzy could have their old room, moving out of the third bedroom Clark had had built on when Chloe told him she was pregnant for the second time.

Clark couldn't believe the two girls were about to turn seven. Clark couldn't believe he and Chloe were the parents of two fifteen year old boys! They still felt like kids themselves at times instead of the close to forty year old married adults to two sets of twins they actually were. Although, when the credit card bills for the grocery shopping and the clothes shopping came in, Clark could believe it. Connor and Kaid had just gone through their second growth spurt. At fifteen, each of them were now six feet tall and able to wear Clark's jeans and boots. They also ate like Clark had when he was their age, times two. Chloe had to take them shopping for new clothes again last year, all their pants about two inches short and their sleeves hitting the middle of their arms. Along with the growth spurts, new abilities were starting to appear as Clark expected. Last year, the two had developed x-ray vision. They'd gotten faster and stronger, their powers now lasting into the night. They no longer could get hurt, but instead hurt things around them. When Connor accidentally dented his locker at school one day and Kaid took off the top of the desk, Clark suggested they wear the watches at school. They'd found Blue Kryptonite had the same effect on them as it did Clark, Chloe thinking it had something to do with the way they were conceived. So during the school day, Connor and Kaid were as normal as any of the other boys but at night, they practiced their abilities with Clark. Gabby and Suzy also inherited Clark's super powers and like their brother's, they were to wear their necklaces out in public, but at home they could do what they wanted.

Clark and Chloe had decided when the kids got old enough, they could decide on their own what they wanted to do. They could either wear the Blue K and live life normally or they could go without it, using their abilities to help others like Clark and the League did. It came as no surprise that Connor and Kaid were starting to follow in Clark's footsteps, handling their powers as mature men and becoming Smallville's secret heroes when evil came to town. Clark now understood how hard it was on his father watching Clark making decisions he shouldn't have had to at such a young age. Even though Clark could physically match his sons in anything, Clark chose to stand back, giving his sons the same space and respect his father had given him. Clark wished, as he did everyday, that Jonathon Kent was still alive, able to see the family Clark and Chloe had created and the men his sons were growing up to be. Clark finally felt his father would be proud of him.

Another father was, too. Jor-El and Clark had called a truce. Clark knew that Jor-El would never come close to matching what Jonathon Kent had been but he was still a father figure and Jor-El knew Clark would never be a true Kryptonian, but maybe something this world needed even more. Clark and Chloe had decided that when Connor and Kaid were eighteen, they would take them to the Fortress. If they wanted to, Connor and Kaid could learn all they could about Krypton and go through training with Jor-El. Until then, they would live as normal a teenage American life as they could, free from the complications of any Kryptonian legacy.

The end of the section came and Clark hadn't found the article. He flipped to the front and started again. Glancing at the front of the Planet, Clark came face to face with Lex Luthor. Clark stopped and looked at the picture. Lex was at large once again. Clark wasn't surprised. If Lex wasn't so deranged, Clark would almost admire the guy. Every time they put him back in prison, he somehow managed to break free again. Lex Luthor had become one of Superman's greatest enemies. Only a year after he'd been thrown back jail after the Weimar Distillery incident, he broke out again. Through the years, Lex had gotten sneakier but Clark, with help from his friends, always defeated him. When Lex had broken out the second time, the League took up residence at the Kent Farm. But he never came after Clark personally again and never touched his family. Lex went after Superman. And as long as he continued going after Superman, Clark could rest assured his family was safe. Clark wondered what the man was up to now. Chloe had been trying to track his movements, but it was slow and exasperating work. Sighing, Clark wondered what would happen to Lex. How would it all go down when, not if, Lex crossed the line?

Giggles were heard coming down the stairs and Clark set the newspaper aside and got up, going to the foot of the stairs.

"Well, if it isn't the prettiest girls in Smallville!" Clark teased as Gabby and Suzy, followed by Chloe tromped down the stairs.

"Thanks, Daddy!" Gabby cried, launching herself into his arms. Clark caught her easily.

"Whoa!" Clark said in surprise. He hefted her up, the diamond shaped blue stone glinting in the light. Suzy wore a matching one over her yellow shirt. Suzy skipped down the rest of the stairs, landing at Clark's feet. She stepped up on one of his feet and hung on to his thigh. Playing their favorite game, Clark lifted his leg and tried to shake her off.

"Come on, girls. We don't want to keep Aunt Lo waiting," Chloe said, stepping down and running her hand through Gabby's dark brown hair.

"When will you be home?" Clark asked, letting Gabby down.

"Daddy, where are Connor and Kaid?" Gabby asked.

"In the barn. Go say bye," Clark ordered. Taking each other's hands, Gabriella Moira and Martha Suzanne, or Gabby and Suzy, skipped to the kitchen and out the door, zooming to the barn to see their older brothers.

"When will you be home?" Clark asked again, wrapping a long arm around his wife's trim waist.

Chloe turned. She'd allowed her hair to grow out again, letting it darken to it's natural honey colored hue. It flowed over her shoulders now, almost to her waist and she wore it in a low ponytail today.

"Probably late," she answered, leaning against Clark. "You and the boys will be on your own for dinner. Think you handle it?"

"You better stop by the store on your way home. You know we'll clean out the fridge," Clark told her.

Chloe smiled at him, patting his chest affectionately. "I'll go tomorrow. You sure you guys don't want to join us in the city?"

"I'm with Connor and Kaid. I think we can get into enough trouble around here," Clark answered.

Clark walked Chloe out to the car.

"Guys! Your mom's leaving!" Clark yelled.

Connor and Kaid came out of the loft, one sister one each of their shoulders. The two older twins put their little sisters in the back seat of the SUV before going to stand with Clark.

"I'll see you boys later. Try not to burn down the house," Chloe teased, kissing each teenager on the cheek.

"Bye, mom." The boys took off, loping back to the loft on their long legs.

"Wake me when you get in tonight?" Clark asked, letting his hands settle on Chloe's hips.

"I thought you couldn't sleep without me?" Chloe whispered.

"Not at all. Your snoring lulls me to sleep."

Chloe punched him. "You've been spending too much time with Lois."

"That hurt," Clark replied.

"I'll see you tonight." Chloe kissed him quickly.

"Be safe," Clark whispered against her lips.

"Don't worry. I love you."

"I love you, too." Clark released her and watched her get into the driver seat of the SUV. All three girls waved as Chloe pulled away and drove down the driveway. Clark waved back and stood and watched until the vehicle turned onto Hickory Lane and kicked up dust on the old country road. He turned and went back in the house. Looking at the clock, he saw it was only ten in the morning. With a shrug of his wide shoulders, Clark laid down on the couch and kicked off his shoes, closing his eyes and dozing off.

Feeling as if he hadn't been asleep for even a couple of minutes, Clark sat straight up when the door slammed shut and one of his sons called frantically, "Dad!"

Clark jumped off the couch and headed into the kitchen. He saw Connor, almost shaking as he paced the kitchen. "Connor, what's wrong?"

"Dad!" Connor met him halfway. Clark immediately reached out and put his hands on the boy's quivering shoulders. "Is Mom back yet?"

Clark glanced at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. He shook his head, wondering how he'd slept so long. "No, she's still in Metropolis. She won't be back until late tonight. Is everything all right?"

"No," Connor answered. "Something happened, Dad."

"What happened? Tell me what happened, Connor. Is it your brother? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He went over to Logan's house for lunch," Connor told Clark.

"Connor," Clark said, gripping the boy's shoulders tighter.

Connor swallowed. His hazel eyes bored into Clark's. "I set the barn on fire."

Clark glanced out the window. The barn still stood and he couldn't see any damage. "Did you put it out?"

"Yes, sir, but that's not the problem!" Connor exclaimed, swinging away from Clark and looking out the window.

Clark had a pretty good suspicion. "How did you set the barn on fire?"

Connor hung his head. "It came out of my eyes," he answered quietly.

Clark stepped up and laid an arm around Connor's shoulders. "What were you doing when it happened?"

"Nothing!" Connor cried. "I swear!"

"Okay. What _had _you been doing?"

Connor looked over at his father. "Well, Kaid had left to go to Logan's and a few minutes later, Claire came over. She said she wanted to see if I wanted to go to the movies with her tonight."

Clark knew _exactly _where this was going. Claire Hubbard, Marcus' oldest daughter was Connor's best friend. Her and Connor had been spending a lot of time together lately, more time than usual. She was a cute little girl, reminding him a lot of Chloe when he and Chloe were their age, right down to the blonde cropped hair cut she'd been sporting since last year.

"Come on, son," Clark said, keeping his arm around Connor's shoulders as he took a step toward the door. "Let's go get the Scarecrow while you tell me _exactly _what happened. . ."


End file.
